Young Dragons Ascend
by Indigo Siren
Summary: Guan Ping is tasked to lead a group of Shu's young warriors to deliver important supplies to an outpost in need. Joined unexpectedly by Wu's tomboy Princess, the excursion will not be an easy one. On a road fraught with disaster and jeopardy, how will they fare through testing times? Can their bonds survive the ordeal? Will the supplies make it safely? Let the journey begin!
1. Chapter 1

**Young Dragons Ascend**

 **By Indigo Siren**

 _Disclaimer: Dynasty Warriors/Shin Sangokumusou © Koei-Tecmo and any characters and situations from the franchise are being used for non-profit storytelling. The only elements I own are any original characters and the premise of the story. All rights reserved._

 **A/N: Wow, it's been a very long time since I have written anything to do with Dynasty Warriors, and actually, this is my first multi-part story for the game. My focus is primarily on the Guan siblings, Bao Sanniang, Xingcai, Sun Shangxiang and Liu Shan. Many of these are some of my favourite characters in the series, though most aren't particularly popular by all accounts. Aside, I just wanted to give them some limelight. Just to note, while I'm using stuff from the games and ROTK as basis, I won't be completely accurate in some details – many liberties will be taken, particularly with the timeline, but they won't be too major in any case. The setting is a short time after Shu takes Chengdu as its capital. Shangxiang, much like the games, is with still with Liu Bei, and Bao Sanniang is now included much earlier. My knowledge of geography and Chinese language/culture are very basic at best, so please forgive any erroneous elements!**

 **Finally, please leave the flames on the pyre – friendly commentary only, thank you. Anyway, on with the story!**

 **Chapter 1**

With the peach blossoms in full bloom, it was needless to say that the winter season had become a very distant memory. Gone were the heavy set grey skies, the frost-bitten earth and the brittle topiary, replaced by lush green pastures and the unearthing of new saplings. The fresh, sweet scents of new flora filtered through the crisp air like a welcome hint of spring's fine perfume. It was a true testament of the wonderful things that life had to offer.

Chengdu basked in all of spring's vibrant offerings, bringing such an aura of happiness and joy to the people who resided there. They seemed more upbeat in the way they carried themselves about their daily business, despite the times being ones fraught with uncertainty. The land was still very much in turmoil, waiting for one greater power to unite the land under one banner. In the last dying days of the Han, the people truly hoped their Lord Liu Bei would be the one to bring them the peace they so desired. With such faith in their hearts, they allowed themselves to wander the city with such carefree energy.

Such sentiments of cheerfulness were certainly shared by those within the Guan household. In fact, the only war they seemed to be fighting that day was one to clean the entire household from top to bottom. They were endeavoured to wipe away the remnants of a dreary winter as they packed away the clothing and bed linen suited for colder months and brought out the spring garments for airing, preparing them to take over for the coming season.

At the forefront of these activities was Guan Yinping, carrying her bodyweight and more of heavy folded bedding, taking them to be laid out on one of the long tables in the inner courtyard for airing in the morning sunshine. There were household staff members already at the tables, some carefully unfolding linen while others beat rugs to rid them of their accumulated dust, dirt and any bugs. She had offered her assistance to do the latter, but they hadn't seemed too keen on the idea, not after the previous year anyway. She was still adamant that the old rug she'd been tending to had been incredibly flimsy, though there had been clear mutterings that it had been far from the case. As such, she was tasked with fetching and carrying only.

Though, she wasn't alone in this task. Her brother, Guan Suo, who had returned from a morning of training had been quickly dragged into assisting the clean up. Their mother, Lady Hu, had been quite insistent on everyone pitching in so the work could be done faster. Notably, most of the other members of the family had made themselves scarce when they could, legitimate reasons or not.

Suo was handed a small stack of thick folded blankets and he went through the sliding door out of the courtyard into a nearby corridor where there was a large floor to ceiling cupboard that contained other winter cloths. He stood on a small stood to reach the highest shelf and carefully placed the blankets on the growing mound. He quietly sighed to himself, wondering how he'd never noticed they had so much bedding. Some of it had probably seen better days as well, not that they could tell their mother that, who always prided herself in using things until they fell apart, and even then she'd try to have them stitched back together. He wasn't quite so sure that her thriftiness was such a great virtue.

Yinping stepped back inside, arms no longer ladened with items, and approached her brother just as he stepped back onto the floor. "I don't think there is much more to do for now," she said. "Though I'm sure we'll be called up to help bring in the aired items later."

"Don't relax just yet," Suo said, moving to sit on the stool. "Knowing our mother, she will find us a lot more to do in the meantime."

Yinping sighed, perching on a windowsill across the way. "Well, I guess we can't fault her meticulousness."

"I knew I should have waylaid myself before returning," Suo said, partly in jest. "Xing certainly got out of it with dealing with Bao."

"Oh?" Yinping leaned in, her eyes curious.

"Oh, I forgot to mention! Bao injured his ankle during training."

It wasn't unknown for Zhang Bao to come out of a training session a little worse for wear, so Yinping hardly seemed shocked, though she did feel somewhat concerned if Xing had had to hang back to help out over his injury.

"How bad was it?" She asked.

"He was creating quite the scene. But you know him; he's always so loud and vocal about everything that sometimes you can't tell how bad something _actually_ is." He stretched his arms, folding them behind his head, a smile suddenly picking up. "You should have seen Xingcai's face. She was really unimpressed."

Yinping grinned knowingly. She could only sympathise with Xingcai for how embarrassing her brother could be. "Well, let's just hope it's nothing too serious!" She said aside before giving a doleful sigh, looking out at the house attendants coming and going, still hard at work. "I wish I could have gone out to train too, but mother cornered me early to help out. I'll be glad when it's all done today!"

A kindly maid, at a perfect moment, appeared with cold drinks for them, which they gratefully accepted and consumed in no time. They returned the cups to the maid with thanks. Suo offered further compliments to her for her graciousness with bringing such delicious drinks. The young maid flushed deeply, bashful at the praise from him. Bowing deeply to them, she skittered away, her cheeks bright pink.

Yinping had to smile. No girl seemed to be immune to his charm, not that he ever seemed aware that he enthralled the opposite sex with his sweet words. It probably helped that he was astoundingly good-looking with those soft pretty-boy features of his. Yinping could only roll her eyes at his oblivious nature, especially when the likes of Bao Sanniang bombarded him regularly with her unbridled affection. Despite being so good around the ladies, he constantly misread their adoration – though what he thought their reactions meant, she would never know. Maybe one of these days something would happen to make him realise what was going on.

"I suppose we should see if we're needed anywhere else," Suo said, standing up with a bounce. "Though, I really don't want to get stuck sweeping if I can help it."

"Neither do I."

The two walked together back into the inner courtyard, where all the spring linen and silk garments were laid out. Some of the items that had slight damage were being painstakingly repaired by a number of attendants. Yinping asked if they could be of any further assistance, but there didn't seem to be anything more they could do out there for now, though they did volunteer to wander around the house to make sure nothing had been forgotten.

They took to their new task at a gentle pace, keeping an eye out for any stray linen or clothing. It was an easy and relaxed task. At the same time, they hoped they didn't come across their mother, who was sure to give them an even more tedious job to do, like weed pulling or winding up yarn balls. They assumed she was probably off somewhere dusty everything within an inch of its life, or overseeing the gardening with an iron hand. Wherever she was, they only had sympathy for anybody else in her path.

With all the windows and doors open, the house was airy and fragrant with fresh scents, a far cry from how stuffy it had been for months, which they're tried to get around with the burning of incense. Not that it had helped all that much – it had just left a heavy smell of sandalwood and jasmine constantly stifling the air. They certainly appreciated the more subtle scents of the peach and plum blossoms drifting in from the palace grounds just a stone's throw away.

"Things have been really quiet recently," Suo said offhandedly as they glanced into the bedrooms along the upper landing. They noted that all the bedding had been stripped bare, awaiting fresh linen.

"I know what you mean. There hasn't been much action at all," Yinping agreed. "Well, nothing that has required an army to deal with. But it does make you wonder if our lord has plans for any big campaigns. You'd think after everything we keep hearing about Cao Cao's battles in the northwest that we would be pushing to try and expand our lands in opposition."

"I'm sure Lord Liu Bei is preparing something. He's probably just had a lot of work to do with securing stability across Yi Province."

Yinping concurred with a nod. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see, though I'm sure we'll be the first to know if something happens." She thought she saw something significant behind a curtain, but it was just a lone glove, maybe belonging to one of the attendants. She moved it onto a table close by, glancing back with a smirk at her brother. "Is the waiting getting too much for you? Don't you like a peaceful life?"

"Don't get me wrong," Suo assured hurriedly. "I like a little peace and quiet. I just... miss the action sometimes. And I don't like the idea of sitting around and waiting for someone to attack us."

"Well, it's a good thing we have Wu as our allies. It's one less thing to worry about!" As they passed a window at the front of the house, they noticed Guan Ping was coming up the path towards the house. She stopped to wave at him enthusiastically, which he acknowledged with a smile. She noticed he was dressed in much finer garb then he usually wore generally. He looked very dashing albeit mature in his vibrant green layered silk robes. "I wonder where he's been dressed like that."

"I don't know, he didn't say anything at breakfast... did he?" They exchanged stumped glances.

"To be honest, all I remember was Mother going on about her spring dresses."

"He did leave training earlier than usual," Suo also recalled, "but even then, he didn't say much about where he was going."

"Well, there's only one way to find out!" Yinping said, rushing for the stairs. Suo grinned at her enthusiasm and followed right behind, though at a less frantic pace.

They both arrived down in the entrance hall where Ping was shrugging off his outer robe and handing it to an attendant.

"Ping!" His sister greeted. "You're dressed up more than usual! Where have you been?"

He smiled at her eager curiosity. "I'm barely through the door and I'm already being interrogated."

"It's not like that! I'm just interested!"

"Was it business?" Suo enquired in much more restrained way.

"Yes it was. I was with Father, Lord Liu Bei and Master Zhuge Liang." His siblings were all ears, though he waved them off. "Can I at least sit down with a drink first? It has been quite the morning."

"You're not the only one who's been busy, you know!" Yinping huffed, following at his heels. "Mother has had me working all morning swapping all the clothes and bedding." She shot in front of him, halting his progress. "Don't think you're going to get off lightly," she warned. "We're all going to be roped in at some point. She'll have us polishing the lacquerware next!"

"I didn't say my morning was harder than yours," he assured soothingly, giving her head a gentle pat as he stepped around her to enter the next door into the living area, going to sit on one of the mats in front of a large table in the centre of the room. Yinping and Suo flanked him on either side, patiently waiting to hear what had happened to have him summoned in front of their lord.

Ping called for a passing maid to bring them some refreshments, which she did so a few minutes later. With drinks at the table, he couldn't hold off his siblings intense gazes any longer. They desperately wanted information out of him about his meeting.

"Our lord summoned me to give me a mission," he told his younger siblings, whose eyes lit up with both surprise and intrigue. "He chose me to be the leader of a supply party to travel to the most north-eastern outpost of the territory."

The outpost was a fortified allied city northwest of Badong, close to Wei's border. It was in a very treacherous frontier of Yi province and wasn't a favoured place to be stationed, and had taken the nickname 'Longpigu' – Dragon Buttocks. It was a key outpost for certain, but it was a dreary place in the middle of rocky, unforgiving terrain. It was a weather-beaten place that always seemed to have one misfortune or another. In this case, they had not fared too well during the winter months.

"They have suffered due to terrible weather," Ping explained between sips of his drink. "That and they had a fire which destroyed some of their supplies. While they had managed to replace some of the items through good relations with close by towns, there have also been cases of pillaging of carts that have travelled the tracks to the city, so some of their most needed supplies were lost. They are in dire need of provisions and other materials to rebuild their damaged storehouses."

"Those poor people," Yinping empathised.

Ping shared her sentiments. "Their fortunes have been very poor. It's really been quite terrible."

"It's going to be quite the responsibility," Suo interjected. "They will be truly grateful to you."

Ping was in no doubt that the people of 'Longpigu' would have immense gratitude. They were certainly long overdue for some serious aide.

"Our lord has left it in my hands to gather a small group to help take the supplies," Ping carried on. "He did suggest that I consider other young officers for the assignment for the prime experience it would bring. I need to make quick arrangements to leave in a few days. It will take about a week to get there all being well, maybe a day or so more."

Yinping was giddy with enthusiasm. "That's exciting! What an adventure!" Ping laughed as she bounced up and down on her knees. He hoped she wouldn't get too excited and break the table by accident. Again.

"I hope you'll consider us as worthy travelling companions," Suo said, determined not to miss out. "This could be a good chance to show how much we're grown as warriors."

"Don't worry, I had thought about you when he said I could choose who could join me," Ping assured them, which delighted the two instantly. "I was also thinking about asking Xing and Xingcai as well."

"Yes, we'd make a formidable team!" Yinping declared, fist pumping the air. She glanced over at Suo. "See, here is the action you wanted!"

Ping raised an eyebrow to his brother. "What's that?"

Suo waved it off. "Don't worry about it... just something from an earlier conversation."

There was movement in the hallway. The creaking floorboards announced the arrival of Guan Xing just as he slid open the door. He peered in, offering that familiar placid smile of his.

"Ah, I thought I'd heard you here," he said in greeting.

"How's Bao?" Yinping asked Xing as he stepped into the room, joining his siblings around the table.

"He has a broken ankle," he informed them.

Ping was bewildered. "He broke his ankle? When did this happen?"

"Shortly after you left this morning," Xing confirmed, rubbing hands down his tired cheeks. "He was a little too overambitious with a kick and landed off kilter, right on his ankle. The doctor has fixed him up; though you should have seen the fuss he kicked up before it was reset. I have a bruise on my stomach to prove what a bad patient he makes."

"Maybe he'll learn not to go over the top next time," Ping said, somewhat unsympathetic. They all knew what Bao was like, a hothead and a show off.

"That'll be the day," Xing said, a small smile forming. "Anyway, I left him to rest after all his simpering over his treatment. Really, I don't blame the doctor for hitting him over the head with his cane. He was very rude to him." The others chuckled, shaking their heads.

"So I suppose Bao is out of the question for this mission," Suo said without a doubt.

"Mission?" Xing inquired with interest, to which Ping relayed what he had told the others about his given task.

"Doesn't it sound like fun?" Yinping said excitedly.

"Not my choice of word," Xing replied, brushing his hair back from his face. "Though it does sound like a good assignment, and I would be very glad to join you."

Ping, happy to have his siblings onboard, was even more motivated. "Excellent, now I just have to ask Xingcai." He didn't doubt she would be in board with the mission. She wasn't one to shy away from any task, particularly where it offered her further training in the field. And secretly, he was quite looking forward to the prospect of journeying with her at his side. It meant they could spend a little more time together. Her time had been so consumed with Liu Shan recently with his training that he barely had time to talk to her. He missed the days they used to have inspired conversations about the future while lounging around on the grass after a hard afternoon's sparring.

Interrupting their cheerful moment was the maid who had previously brought their drinks, who appeared rather sheepish. "Please excuse me," she said. "Lady Hu has asked if you could help clean out the stock cupboard. She requires all the boxes removing so the floor can be cleaned."

Suo sighed. "It didn't take Mother long to realise we were all here at a loose end."

Yinping slapped her legs with exasperation. "I told you! Didn't I say we'd all get roped in eventually?"

* * *

The palace was a tranquil spectator to the activity bustling about the city, standing like a regal giant painted in splendour. Walled off and surrounded by thriving peach, plum and apple trees, it was almost in a world of its own – as was Sun Shangxiang, sat in her palace quarters high up in the grand building. There was a wonderful breeze that late morning, lifting delicate peach blossoms up high into the air, even high enough for her to gracefully lean out and capture a single petal between her fingers, letting it dance over each digit before releasing it back into the currents, letting the thermals take it up higher and further away.

It was a truly peaceful day – maybe a little too peaceful for her liking – but the weather was bright and clear, and she could see everything happening on the ground below, a hive of activity with the kingdom's subjects going about their business in such a cheery manner. Far beyond the walls of outer Chengdu she could make out peasants walking the dirt paths, travelling with their wares, passing through groves of spruce firs and foxglove trees, free to come and go as they pleased whether in trade or for leisure. And here she was, somewhat constrained, like a bird in a rather large ornate cage.

She could almost laugh at herself for such overdramatic thoughts. A bird in a cage, of all things! As if she were some feeble damsel; but even so, her world did feel a whole lot smaller than it used to be.

There was only so much training she could do that morning before she wore out her armed maids, and after that she was required – for some reason beyond her – to sit for almost an hour discussing dresses with the lady staff, who wanted to completely change her wardrobe. She had a great dislike for dresses, but begrudgingly dressed in them to befit her position as a lord's wife and dignitary. Even then as she sat there she was decked out in a lightweight dress in crimson red with billowing long sleeves – something not particularly made for moving about in at any respectable speed. How sad it seemed that she constantly had to dream up excuses to wear more comfortable and less restricting clothes some days.

Thankfully, she had managed to sort out the dress debate relatively quickly once they'd stopped prattling on about patterns, after which she escaped back to her room, now finding herself suddenly at a loose end. It was at times like these she missed Jianye, her brother and Lianshi, even more so after receiving a letter from the latter. Just reading about her homelands, the progress of the state and Lianshi's obvious budding romance with her brother made her miss her former carefree lifestyle. In some ways she wanted to be back there, to tease her former bodyguard about Quan's bumbling pursuit, maybe even take a boat out while the water was calm and go fishing. But they were simply dreams now. She'd given up everything she knew for her beloved Liu Bei, the man who had captured her heart and respect on their first meeting. They might have been a generation a part, but it was a very forgettable aspect of their relationship. Nevertheless, the thought of him often made her heart skip a beat. He was as accommodating to her as he could be, even allowing her to bring a small troop of armed maids with her after they married – though they seemed to unnerve him on a regular basis.

When it came to their life together, it was one predominated by the affairs of state. He was a very busy man, always at the forefront of military and domestic dealings of his burgeoning kingdom. As time had gone on during their short marriage, they were spending much less time together. It made her heart heavy with loneliness.

Besides her personal maids, whom bustled about to fulfil her every whim, she really didn't spend much time with anyone else. Despite the kindness she had received from Liu Bei's people, she was still somewhat an outsider. They were either overly cautious of her – on top of their nervousness of her elevated position as their lord's wife and Princess of Wu – or very reluctant to speak with her at all, merely cordially bowing before hastening away. Not that she spent much time mingling in the city; she only ventured outside of the palace grounds on occasion, and even then she was accompanied by any one of Liu Bei's most trusted generals, more often than not, it was Zhao Yun. She didn't know if it was her husband being overprotective – of _her_ of all people, the bow princess! – Or someone had been having a word in his ear to keep an eye on her, just in case – of what she couldn't surmise. She always assumed it was Zhuge Liang, his unreadable strategist. She could never quite tell what he thought of her.

She wasn't particularly fond of Zhao Yun. He was obnoxiously regimental and postured way too much – both verbally and physically. He didn't seem to realise he was doing it, but it grated on her nerves anyway, even more so since some of her armed maids were a little smitten with the handsome general.

She heaved out a heavy sigh, bring her knees up so she could rest her arms and chin against them. How sad it felt that she hadn't fully integrated in with the people of Shu. She wasn't one to give up that was for sure, but it was depressing even after all this time she was still struggling to make deeper connections beyond her husband.

 _What I need is a distraction from this ridiculous bout of misery,_ she thought. _Just something that breaks this monotonous way of life. Maybe I could arrange a hunt, get a few of the generals on board. I've got more of a chance of integrating with a bit of fair sport._

She saved those thoughts for later, knowing it was nearing lunchtime now and her husband would be back soon. She was almost like an impatient puppy waiting for its master's return. Maybe he could spare her a moment in his busy schedule to eat with her today.

Lo and behold, she could hear approaching feet, and in her excitement, jumped to her feet. It was just unfortunate that her legs entangled themselves in the bundled material of the dress and she stumbled, falling head over heels into an unceremonious heap on the floor, leaving her slightly winded.

"Stupid dress," she mumbled grumpily, looking up as the door opened and her husband and one of his attendants entered. "Hello, my lord," she greeted cheerily, even though she looked a complete fool.

Liu Bei seemed startled to find her splayed out on the ground, legs knotted up in her dress. "Shangxiang, are you alright?"

"Just a mishap, my lord," she assured, starting to unravel herself from her predicament. "I'm still not fully used to the, uh, mechanics of dresses." He moved over to her to offer an assisting hand, though his expression seemed unsure if she would want his help or not. Shangxiang didn't refuse and took his hand so that he could help her to her feet. "Thank you."

"Some things just take a little time and perseverance to get used to," he said supportively.

"Yes, I suppose so," she said agreeably, even though she didn't quite like the idea of accommodating these cumbersome dresses into her everyday life.

He smiled and moved across the room towards the bedroom, the attendant following after him silently, on hand to help him get changed. Shangxiang went to sit on a small couch near the bedroom door, peaking through the gap to catch a glimpse of tanned flesh as Liu Bei disrobed. Her cheeks pinked, and she cursed her whimsy. She wasn't some innocent maiden after all.

"How was your morning?" She called, her voice raised for him to hear her.

"Tiring," he admitted, allowing the attendant to slip a fresh long robe over his shoulders. "I had quite a few meetings."

"Was there anything of interest?" She enquired, though she wasn't sure if he'd tell her much, and even so, not really certain if it would be anything fascinating anyway. She was well versed in the politics of war, but when it came to civil and domestic affairs, she came to a stumbling block. She had to give him all her respect for running the city in such an orderly manner.

"I had private council with Zhuge Liang." She knew she'd get little information out of him on that front. "And I spoke with Guan Ping over a supply run I wanted him to be in charge of."

"A supply run?" She asked keenly, watching him emerge from the other room, now dressed in fresh robes – pale green with a phoenix pattern, ones she fondly liked to see him wear.

"Yes, to our far most outpost on the eastern Wei border," he explained. "It would be an opportune assignment for him. It would make useful training for his leadership skills. I did recommend he take some of his young comrades with him to benefit from the experience."

 _How lucky..._ Is what she wanted to say, instead she put on a smile and said: "Yes, most opportune."

Shangxiang noticed her husband seemed to be preparing himself once more to leave. She became deflated. "You're not staying for lunch?"

He noticed her sad expression and approached her, gently resting his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Shangxiang, my schedule is quite hectic today. I'm due for another meeting with a minister of foreign trade. I believe we will be taking lunch together. Forgive me, if I had remembered earlier..."

"Please don't worry yourself," she said, mustering as much understanding as she could despite her disappointment. "I don't mind taking lunch alone."

"I promise I will try to join you tomorrow, even if only for a short time." He gently kissed her forehead. "See you tonight."

She smiled as she watched him and his attendant depart, which instantly slipped as the doors shut behind them. He probably wouldn't be around for dinner either. He seemed to struggle to accommodate her anymore. She bristled at the thought he would probably take time out at some point that day to spend time with his sworn brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. All she would get was him tiredly crawling into their bed, only exchanging the most meagre of pleasantries before he drifted off to sleep. She didn't want to start taking her disappointment out on anyone else – particularly his sworn brothers, who were a dear part of his life. The thing she dreaded was becoming some needy wench pandering for his every attention, but at times, she wondered what would happen if she really did kick up a fuss.

It wasn't that she wasn't privy to a lot of his meetings with her position, but many of them were either private councils for his ears only or about things she wasn't able to contribute to. The idea of sitting listening to some stuffy men prattle on about the ins and outs of one domestic trade or another almost made her yawn just thinking about it.

She went and sat back down at the window, unable to stop herself from sulking. Though with little else to do, her mind wandered back to what he'd mentioned about Guan Ping's mission: an excursion to run supplies to one of their outposts. At any other time, it wouldn't have been particularly exciting, but right there and then, it sounded a lot more fun than pottering around trying to fill in the day doing the same old things.

Just then, a knock came to the door. She called for them to enter. It was one of her trusted armed maids, Bihua. She bowed upon entering.

"Are you ready for lunch, my lady?"

"Yes, I'll come now," she said, following after the other woman.

They walked side by side down the long hallway in silence, passing by palace attendants gently cleaning beautifully painted wall panels and ornate hanging lanterns. They bowed to the princess upon her passing, which she acknowledged with a nod of the head. Her footfalls sounded unnaturally loud all of a sudden, but that could have just been because she had been focusing so hard on the echoes bouncing off the walls around her. Even though there were people everywhere she looked, there was still an emptiness around her that she couldn't shake.

At the end of the hallway, Bihua opened a pair of large doors for her to enter a private hall where she would take lunch.

She sat down at the small table that awaited her, tucking the skirts of her dress carefully beneath her. Bihua brought her a small jug of wine. She welcomed it gratefully as it was poured into her cup, and she consumed it swiftly, the sweet taste hitting the back of her throat with a sharp tang. She quietly sighed in satisfaction and beckoned her maid for another.

"Are you alright, my lady?" Bihua asked her, eying her cautiously.

"It's... just been one of those days," Shangxiang said, refraining from downing another cup full so hastily. She would wait for her food – which was due to be brought in shortly – and then she would sink them back while she lined her stomach. She stared thoughtfully at her reflection in the wine for some time before glancing up at her maid. "Bihua, you always seem to be on top of all the latest information that circulates around here."

"I try to be, my lady."

"Do you know much about the mission that has been given to Guan Ping about delivering supplies?"

"No, my lady." Bihua said, shaking her head. Shangxiang's shoulders sank. "But I can always try to find out more for you."The princess instantly brightened up.

Bihua – like many of her armed entourage – was her eyes and ears in places she couldn't reach. If there was something she wanted to know, Bihua would go out of her way to try and uncover as much information as she could. Shangxiang knew she could deftly rely on her.

"If you could, I would like to know more about it: who is involved, and when they are setting off, things like that."

The princess was resolved. She wanted to involve herself in this mission of Guan Ping's. She wanted to get away just for a little while, to roam freely without constraint and experience more of the land. Liu Bei certainly wouldn't agree to her joining the expedition, though while she seemed to continue on as a secondary commodity in his everyday life, she felt that she was well within her rights to make this choice, to do something that benefited her for a change, and finally get some real excitement. Besides, he probably wouldn't miss her presence for a short while.

There was a certain thrill to this sneaky little plan, but nothing deterred her from the thought of going through with it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.**

 **Chapter 2**

Three wooden carts were sat in the middle of a weathered storehouse as they were packed with a myriad of consumables, medicines and cloths. Guan Ping stood regimentally overseeing every aspect of the loading operation, inspecting all the food goods delivered and making sure they were organised appropriately, trying to keep some semblance of order between the carts. Guan Xing was managing the paperwork, sat to the side as he marked items off a comprehensive checklist with his ink brush. A few bags of rice and millet were still outstanding, something Ping knew he'd have to chase up if they didn't materialise soon.

It had been nearly three days since he had been given command of the supply run, and everything was coming together as smoothly as it possibly could. First and foremost he had organised his entourage of companions for the journey. After his siblings had gladly agreed, he immediately went to ask Xingcai, who was more than happy to join them – though this was expressed in her usual calm way. She was grateful for any chance of an active field role. That, and she probably wanted to avoid being around her brother while he was so crotchety over his broken ankle.

Xingcai had joined the two Guan brothers a short while earlier to assist with the loading of the masses of straw weave bags and wooden boxes onto the carts. Ping felt rather awkward standing around governing the operations while she was doing so much heavy lifting, though she had been pretty insistent about being hands on and he knew better then to try and deter her. Besides, she was making quite light work of it, moving fast and efficiently so the progress didn't lag behind.

Ping was certainly out of his element at the helm of the proceedings, though took the challenge head on nevertheless with determination, trying not to let it overwhelm him. It was a big learning curb that was for certain. Just organising all the necessities with heaps of suppliers and making plans for their travelling route had tested both his patience and his people skills. He had been given quite a hefty list of things to do, though he was proud thus far with the overall progress. Just as long as the last of the rice and millet arrived, everything seemed like it was staying right on track.

A young weaver approached Ping, showing him the pile of blankets in his arms. Brand new woven garments fit for seasonal purpose. He instructed him to go to the middle cart and put the items there; he then called over to Xing to mark the items as received. His brother did so with a graceful flick of the brush.

The carts were packed with all sorts of things, including dried and pickled foods, bags of tea leaves, bolts of material, clothing and shoes, and pots of herbal medicines and ointments. They would certainly render great assistance to the people at the unfortunate outpost.

"Ping!" He turned to see Guan Suo approach with Yinping and Bao Sanniang not far behind. "How are things going?"

"All appears to be well at the moment," he said with some certainty. "Though, you didn't happen to see anybody carrying any rice or millet on your way here?"

Suo shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Are you missing some things?"

Ping sighed. "It's okay. They are probably just delayed. We did request a lot of grain."

Sanniang went over to the carts with a spring in her step, glancing over the contents with bright, curious eyes. "Wow, look at all this stuff! We really are taking a lot! I hope they'll be grateful when they get it!"

Ping nodded, his lips slightly clenched. He didn't even ask Sanniang to be a part of the supply team, but the moment she'd discovered Suo was involved, she had told Ping that she was going to be included as well. No discussion, just an assertion. Though he supposed it wouldn't do any harm to give her a chance as well, maybe they could even domesticate her a little under his command; though he wasn't too certain she'd be willing to listen to him anyway. He could have told her 'no' in the first place, but he doubted it would have stopped her. She was a law unto herself.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Yinping asked, kicking at a stray pebble, clearly at a loose end.

"There are a few more items to go on the carts," Ping indicated to a back wall where a number of goods still sat. "Maybe you could help with those."

"Yes, sir!" She saluted playfully, and went to assist Xingcai and the other workers still hard at work.

"Did you want me to try and find out what happened to your missing supplies?" Suo asked, also wanting to assist.

"That would be helpful thanks." Ping thumbed over to their other brother. "If you go over to Xing, he will give you details of the supplier."

Suo nodded and did just that. Xing gave him directions to an address, after which Suo promptly left. Noticing the object of her affections was leaving, Sanniang quickly followed after him. Ping was slightly relieved, not envying his brother for the company he kept. She was too much of a handful at times.

 _Well, at least we can carry on peacefully,_ he thought. _For now at least..._

"Shall I get this one?" Yinping asked one of the other workers about a big clay pot full of densely packed herbs. They were about to tell her that it was a two man job, though the words had barely left their lips as she went over to pick it up, lifting it like it weighed nothing. The other workers gawked at her feat of strength with slack jaws, stopping mid-work to regard her with dumbfounded awe. Xingcai quietly shook her head, hiding a small smile as she moved another box onto the back of the far most cart. "I'll be careful!" The young Guan assured, assuming their expressions were that of concern, worrying she'd damage the pot. With great care, she took the pot over to where one of the men lamely pointed, clearly still stunned. She put it down in its designated place, not even breaking a sweat.

Ping and Xing had long since stopped being surprised by Yinping's strength and just carried on working, sharing the briefest of amused glances at how the others reacted to her. It took something particularly unbelievable from their little sister to get them to lose their focus completely.

"Let's keep up the pace," Ping called out, trying to keep his humour aside. The men who had stopped their loading quickly went back to what they were doing.

Yinping wandered over to Xingcai, who was stacking another sack into the same cart as before. "Are you excited?"

"For the journey you mean?"

"Of course!"

Xingcai smiled at her enthusiasm. "Something like that. I'm looking forward to getting out there and doing something more proactive. Oh, can you pass me that?" She pointed to another sack behind the girl.

"Sure!" Yinping lifted the heavy sack without batting an eyelid. "You know, I feel exactly the same!" She passed the sack to Xingcai who balked slightly as the weighty item was placed into her arms. She moved it to wedge into a small available gap.

Moments later, they found their presence graced by Liu Bei, who was in the company of his sworn brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. They had earnest interest in their progress. The young group stopped what they were doing when they noticed them enter, clasping they hands out before them in a respected salute.

Liu Bei raised his hand to indicate they needn't be so formal. "Everything appears to be running on schedule."

"It is, my lord," Guan Ping assured.

"As was expected," Guan Yu said proudly, causing his elder son to look down abashed.

"Have you arranged for which horses you'll take?" Liu Bei asked Ping. "I'm sure Ma Chao will select you some fine steeds fit for the journey."

Ping nodded. "Yes, my lord. I spoke with Ma Chao earlier. It is all arranged. We'll be ready to leave early tomorrow morning."

"Excellent." Liu Bei reached into his pocket. "Here." He handed Guan Ping a rolled scroll of paper. "It's an official edict for you to acquisition meat and fruit supplies ahead of reaching the north- eastern outpost. I know they have had trouble securing fresh supplies, so it would be good if you could obtain as much as possible. I will give you goods and gold to compensate those who are able to provide the extra provisions for you."

Ping tucked the scroll into his robe. "Yes, my lord."

Zhang Fei wandered over to where his daughter was lifting one of the last boxes onto the cart. "Are you sure you're ready for this? I mean, you don't have to go..."

"I'll be fine, Father. I can handle myself." Xingcai said impassively. She might have only taken part in a few small operations for the kingdom at that point, but she had the training to manage any number of jobs given to her. "I always welcome the opportunity for personal progression."

"Well, if you're sure..." She gave him a stiff look. Knowing how she could be, he accepted it as answer enough, not that it would stop him worrying about her at any point. "I guess it's just down to me and your mother to deal with that foul mouthed brother of yours. He hasn't shut up bellyaching since he hurt his ankle. Kinda wish I was going with you..."

Xingcai gave a rare coy smile. "If all else fails, send for the doctor. He might be willing to hit him over the head again... for medicinal purposes, of course."

Zhang Fei roared with laughter. "Haha, yes, medicinal! At least it would save me from beating him and having your mother not speak to me for a week."

Xingcai shook her head with good humour and stepped back from the cart, glancing around. "I wonder if we've got everything just about sorted." She then called over to Ping. "Have we packed all our own personal equipment?"

He looked thoughtful before calling over to his brother. "Xing! Did we pack the tents already?"

Xing checked his list. "Yes."

"Did we make sure to pack the extra ones now that Sanniang is joining us?"

"Yes, I checked it myself."

Ping sighed with relief. "Good, I wasn't sure."

"Oh, before I forget," Liu Bei suddenly said, drawing Guan Ping's attention again. "I think it would be beneficial for my son to join your group for this mission." Ping was taken aback, though kept his expression neutral. "Liu Shan needs more discipline and responsibility on his shoulders. I think it would help him greatly to join under your command and learn out in the field."

"Yes," Xingcai piped in, walking over. "It would be good training for him."

"Yes, I suppose so," Ping said agreeably, conceding that there would be little choice in the matter.

Liu Shan was very aloof in the way he carried himself. Sometimes they wondered if he was even capable of handling important matters at all. He shirked his training when he could, and seemed to let everything float over him with little concern. Ping was certain he'd be greatly surprised if the young lord showed up to join them in the morning. While the eldest Guan son may have seemed accommodating, he was not looking forward to taking charge of their lord's son. And aside, he'd hoped to spend some time alone with Xingcai without Shan around, as he always managed to monopolise her attention somehow. How she constantly put up with his antics, he'd never understand.

"You want me to arrange for more tent supplies?" Xing asked.

"Yes," Ping said evenly, keeping his unhappiness in check. "Please do."

"Here it is, here it is!" Clamoured Bao Sanniang's excited voice, signalling her return. Behind her, Guan Suo was helping carry one of the sacks of rice alongside the other workers, bringing in the last of their consignment. The newcomers paid their respects to their three superiors and moved to load the final items onto their designated carts.

Ping jumped slightly when Guan Yu placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "I know you will do well, my son. You will learn much from this experience."

"Yes, father. I won't let you down." He could only hope and pray that everything would keep running smoothly. This was his chance to prove himself to his lord and his father that he was a capable officer ready to handle important command duties. He had a good feeling, and just as long as things kept going his way, he felt he had nothing really to concern about at all.

* * *

Shangxiang sat on a stool in her private dressing room as two of her maids finished assisting her with removing her hair ornaments and jewellery while dressing her in her night robes. The princess slipped off her earrings silently and rested them on a small tray in front of her, listening as her maids talked freely about local news and gossip; she acknowledged their words with small nods, though her mind was completely elsewhere.

Bihua had reported back over the previous days with abundant information of the supply mission given to Guan Ping. The fact it would take a round trip of a little over two weeks excited her. It offered plenty of time to get out and experience Yi in a much more active position, as well as step away from Liu Bei for a little while as she attempted to shed her constraints and try and bond further with people of her own age. In all the time she had been with Shu she had never been given much time to see the likes of the Guan siblings or the others to even attempt to build bonds. This was the perfect opportunity for her to unequivocally rectify the matter. There was also the bonus that the journey would help her shed the rust of being out of the field for a while. She was sure Liu Bei wouldn't be too pleased about her venture, but she assumed as he was so busy all the time, it would barely affect him that she was gone. Her heart gave twinges of sadness at the thought. She did love him dearly, but maybe this is what they needed; a degree of separation to re-evaluate their situation.

With her maids having completed their task, they bowed to their lady and bid her goodnight, departing the room post-haste, leaving her to her thoughts.

Only a few of her personal maids knew of her plans. There was no favouritism in who she told, merely that she wanted to keep the numbers of those who knew to a contained few; there would be less of a chance of her plans accidentally leaking out this way, as well as she didn't want all her maids punished for maintaining her secretive plans. She trusted them completely, their loyalty unquestionable. She hoped that whatever happened, that they would not be treated too harshly in the aftermath. There were only following her orders after all.

With the information of the mission in her hands, she had made sure to be well prepared. Hidden behind her in a removable wall panel was a bag filled with clothes, supplies and light armour. Bihua would bring her weapons to her just before she set out. Also, tucked in her jewellery box was a letter, painstakingly written to explain her absence to her husband. She hoped she'd worded everything in the right way, as she didn't want to stir up too much discontent or offend him deeply, but she wasn't shy of speaking from her heart.

Tomorrow morning she would steal away behind a wall of deception. She would go about her morning as usual, going down to practice with her armed maids in the gardens, but in that time, she would shed her regalia and dress down into a more discreet outfit before having Bihua escort her out, on the pretence of seeing a particular bird sighted in the area – one she would probably make up on the spot if anyone asked more about her endeavours. Then, she would rendezvous with the supply group.

It was all very devious, but the thrill of sneaking off on a little adventure brought a little fire back into her blood. It might end up being a very uneventful trip, but it was better than her just meandering about, trying to find things to keep herself entertained through endless days filled with tedium.

She rose from her stool, blowing out the candle in the lantern on the table as she left the room, walking quietly through the dimly lit antechamber to reach the bedroom. She slid open the door almost silently, looking over at Liu Bei already asleep in their bed. He had been so exhausted from his day that when he returned he had almost instantly retired for the night. The soft glow of the moon peeked through the thin veil of curtains, highlighting his peaceful face.

She closed the door behind her and crossed the room, admiring him silently albeit sadly. She gently bit her lip, approaching the bed in a flutter of elegant material. She was almost like a ghost floating over, observing her husband with an ethereal glow surrounding her. Her scheming to abscond – in her eyes anyway – was not her abandoning him or her position, but rather seeking to fulfil her wasted potential and to secure closer bonds with other members of the faction.

Shangxiang slipped into the bed beside him, anxious that her plans might come unravelled, but she vowed with every ounce of her being that she would succeed. She needed this more than anything right there and then – just a little freedom, if only for a short while. Who knew, maybe in some strange way her spontaneous decision to assist the operation might even give her greater consideration and respect amongst her peers. Though, that was probably wishful thinking.

Liu Bei turned in his sleep just as she laid herself comfortably at his side, his arm coming to rest against her lap. She glanced down at it, sighing gently as she let her fingers coil around the tanned, smooth flesh of his forearm. He didn't awaken at the touch, making only a light groan before turning his head slightly away, still caught up in blissful sleep.

 _My love for you will never waver,_ she thought at she looked at him earnestly. _But I need to do this. For me._

She closed her eyes, settling against her pillow, uncertain of how much sleep she would actually get.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.  
**

 **Chapter 3**

Soft golden light streamed across the city of Chengdu, painting the streets in luminous early morning sunshine. With the sunrise, people old and young began to appear across the boulevard, greeting the day with vim and vigour as they went about their business. Congregated in the busy front courtyard not far from the main gates of the city, Guan Ping and his travelling group were gathered with their horses and the three supply carts. Only two members of the group were not in attendance: Xingcai and Liu Shan. The former had been there previously, but it was a case that Liu Shan hadn't shown up when expected and the young warrior had gone off in search of him.

Ping stroked the flank of his horse idly, watching his brothers inspecting their goods for the final time; the contents had been swathed down with lightly oiled coverings to try and protect the cargo from any adverse weather they may face. They tested the straps holding them down, making sure they were completely secure. He had given Yinping, Xing – and when he got there – Liu Shan the duty of manning the carts during the journey.

Though he was remaining calm, Ping was certainly not impressed by his lord's son, delaying them as it seemed because he wasn't enthusiastic about going along for the journey. Ping kept these thoughts to himself, though he was sure the others had worked out his annoyance by his rather tense expression.

Bao Sanniang finished securing her supply pack onto the back of her horse, stepping back with satisfaction and barely contained excitement for the journey ahead. She took in a deep lung-full of fresh morning air, sighing with happiness. "It's a good day to travel, don't you think?" she said, clasping her hands together with eagerness. There were murmurings of agreement amongst her companions, all except Ping who remained very much in a world of his own. "I can't wait to ride through the western forests. They have some incredible fruit trees growing there. Maybe we could even stop to bathe in one of the big rivers along the way!"

Suo chuckled, tapping her gently on the nose. "That's a lovely idea; though let's not forget our journey is all about delivering supplies to our needy allies. It's another adventure for another time, I'm afraid."

Sanniang sighed. "That's too bad." Though her eyes retained a twinkle of hope that maybe she could convince Guan Suo to go on a little adventure of their own once the mission was complete.

A short time later, Xingcai returned to the group with Liu Shan following close behind her. She was carrying his luggage over her shoulder, forcing him to try and keep up with her pace. Guan Ping straightened up, not sure how to really address the situation, despite so dearly wanting to admonish the young lord with harsh words for his tardiness; but all he said was: "You're late." He'd just about managed to keep an even voice, though he let his displeasure be clear through his piercing stare.

Liu Shan, always with a rather lax smile on his face, gave a small bow to him. "I do apologise. It just hasn't been a very good morning for me."

It was a pitiful excuse, and Ping would have loved to completely chew him out for it, but Xingcai thankfully butt in with a more controlled address.

"Liu Shan, you should apologise properly to everyone for making them wait. _Especially_ Guan Ping." She walked off to load his bags onto the back of his designated cart.

Shan did as he was asked, bowing to each of the others respectfully before bowing to Guan Ping. "I am really sorry for being so late. It wasn't my intention to cause you so much trouble."

 _Well, you shouldn't have been purposely dawdling then,_ is what Guan Ping wanted to say, but kept the words well and truly in his head. "Let's avoid any further delays," he said much more professionally, "just think of the people who are in desperate need of our supplies." He pointed over at the carts. "If you could take your mount now, let's not waste any more time." Shan nodded and made his way over to the cart, giving an admiring glance to the two horses waiting patiently for their driver.

Xingcai returned to Ping. "Once we're on the road, he should settle into his duty. I will keep my eye on him and make sure he doesn't slack."

"Don't worry; you won't be the only one keeping an eye on him."

"He'll quickly learn he's not in for an easy ride. Don't feel you have to hold back on him because he's our lord's son. It'll be good for Shan to learn some discipline. One day he will be our leader, and I'm sure what he learns from being in the field will apply in his guidance to others in years to come."

Ping nodded understandingly. He admired how wise and level-headed she could be. "You're right. Let's hope it will be of great benefit to him." He turned to regard the others. "Anyway, we're all here now, so I hope we're about ready to leave."

A small group of onlookers had gathered that morning in anticipation to see the young warriors off. Amongst them notably were Ma Chao and Guan Yu. The former approached Guan Ping's steed, stroking its nose proudly. The horse snorted lightly with recognition and warmth.

"I hope the horses will serve you well. They are the pride of our stables. I personally trained them all myself." He cast his gaze across all the horses, proud examples of his tireless work. Nobody would find a better steed in Yi Province. "You will find them all to be obedient and assiduous."

Ping bowed his head appreciatively. "Thank you, we will take good care of them."

Chao smiled. "As they will take good care of you."

Guan Yu stood back, stroking his long, grand beard as he cast his gaze over his offspring with a gleam of pride in his eyes. "Ride tall, my children. You represent the pride of Shu. May your journey be one of good fortune." The four gave grateful thanks, encouraged by his words. He then turned to Xingcai. "I'm sorry that your father wasn't here to see you off like he'd hoped to. He is... uh, well... indisposed."

Xingcai's expression was blank. "You mean hungover..."

Guan Yu cleared his throat, trying to refrain from smiling. "He let his anxiety over your departure lead him to drown his sorrows. You know how he can be." Clearly she did by the way she was fighting to hide her aggravation. "Well, on his behalf, I wish you safe travels, Xingcai."

She clasped her hands in a respectful salute. "Thank you, Lord Guan."

"Alright, let's move out!" Guan Ping ordered, the prestige of his command position giving him newfound confidence in himself. It didn't matter that the role was meagre in the grand scheme of things, but that didn't shift the welling exhilaration in his chest. "We have a schedule to keep. People are relying on us."

Guan Yu and Ma Chao bid their farewells amidst a clamour of goodbyes echoing from the gathered citizens of Chengdu, watching with delight as the youth of Shu mounted their gallant steeds and departed the courtyard. There was no doubt the people had much respect for the young warriors, who formed an impressive assembly.

The entourage strode forth in an orderly procession, offering salute to the guards at the main gate as they passed through. Their pace increased as the crossed a bridge leading to the outskirts of the city, stepping out onto the main road, leaving their home behind them with only a little sadness in their hearts.

Guan Ping led the front of the cortege with Xingcai close to his left. The carts followed after them, managed by Guan Xing, Liu Shan and Yinping in that order. Guan Suo followed the rear with Sanniang ever dutifully at his side. To be left completely responsible with such an important duty – even though their experience in the field was limited – had bolstered the confidences' of all those in attendance; well, all bar Liu Shan, who didn't really feel especially motivated under the weight of such a responsibility. Though he more than most needed to achieve something from this task, to prove that he had both the skill and tenacity that many felt he didn't really have. Not that Shan let anyone see his true potential anyway.

Ping had mapped their journey out with meticulous care with the assistance of his father, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang. They wanted to operate on the safest route possible, to avoid complications of terrain and any unwelcomed attention of thieves who lurked across the territory. He felt some certainty that he knew full well how they would proceed from start to finish.

Out of the city, they followed the road further towards the countryside heading north east. The sun shone down with gentle warmth, glimmering through the leaves on the limbs of large lumbering trees, creating unique little patterns that danced across the hard soil underfoot. Travelling farmers pulling hand carts full of produce stopped to bow respectfully to the entourage, making sure to move aside so they could pass unhindered. They bypassed small towns just off the weathered track, eventually reaching a long stretch of green woodland that stretched out for miles before them. Before they proceeded much further, they noticed a figure mounted on a horse waiting up ahead at the side of the road, with what appeared to be an armed maid stood at their side. Ping thought he recognised the maid, but wasn't certain of the figure on the horse until they drew close. Their face had been obscured by a large brimmed bamboo hat and a light veil flowing around the back and sides. As the figure looked up expectantly, he realised who exactly it was.

"Princess..." He said softly, feeling both surprise and uncertainty creep through him. He brought the group to a stop as Shangxiang drew her horse onto the road before them, drawing up close to Ping. He noticed she wasn't in her usual regal dress, instead clad in comfortable casual slacks tucked into tall boots and a simple chemise with matching arm covers. She had a quiver buckled to her back, with her bow attached to a kitbag bound onto the back of her horse. There was something very odd about this encounter, though nobody immediately spoke up to question this random encounter.

"Good morning," she greeted. "An excellent day for riding, don't you agree?" There were some rather awkward responses amongst the group, many of them still trying to get their head around her turning up unexpected, though Bao Sanniang stood out with a very chirpy response of 'Yes, it's wonderful!', not quite getting why everyone else was being so stuffy and regimented around her. Shangxiang beamed, pretending not to notice their unease in response to her convivial salutation as she vocally pressed on. "You're a little later than I expected, but that doesn't really matter. I wasn't waiting too long before you appeared."

"What do you mean, Princess?" Ping questioned.

"Oh, you weren't informed? That's rather odd!" She brandished a broad smile at the young man. "I'm to accompany you on your mission." Ping was openly taken aback, sharing a glance with an equally stunned Xingcai. "Don't be alarmed, I won't be interfering with your command," she carried on unabashed. "I'm merely joining you as an observer and representative of our lord; plus, he wants me to keep an eye on Liu Shan for him on his first mission." On his name being mentioned, Shan cocked his head thoughtfully at her declaration, though his relaxed smile never faltered.

"We heard nothing about your joining our group," Xingcai said, glancing back at the others, who gave murmurs of confirmation to this fact.

"Lord Liu Bei never once mentioned your addition," Ping verified. "He only mentioned that he wished for Liu Shan to join us."

Shangxiang huffed with mock indignation. "Are you certain you weren't told? I was given clear instructions that it was all arranged."

"It seems there has been a misunderstanding," Xingcai said. "Though, it is surprising that if you were given instructions you didn't come to meet us in the courtyard."

"Admittedly, I got a little ahead of myself," Shangxiang said, keeping up her tall tale. "I had some extra time on my hands and I got a little too caught up in my training to realise the time, so I thought it best to wait out here for you. It also gave me time to try and catch a glimpse of a bird that I'd been hearing so much about; a big blue and red thing with fluffy plumes. I can't remember the name offhand." The others remained confused, though Sanniang and Yinping did seem quietly excited to hear there was a rare bird in the area. Not wanting them to linger too much on her story, Shangxiang quickly pressed on, eyes on the eldest Guan son. "You seem so dubious all of a sudden? Please understand this was my husband's decision. If you are still unsure, then we should turn around and go back to confirm with him. But wouldn't that delay the mission further? Would that not upset my lord, especially that the word of his wife is not good enough for you?"

Ping was flustered, though hid it well, focusing on taking a deep breath as he addressed. "Uh... no, Princess. Please forgive me if I seem rude. Your word is good enough, I assure you. I don't want to cause any problems with our Lord if that was his decision. It probably just slipped his mind."

"Yes, that was probably the case," she said. "So, shall we continue without further delay?" Ping nodded, really not wanting to hinder their progress any more than necessary.

Satisfied things had gone her way, Shangxiang turned to her maid. "You can return to your other duties now, Bihua. Make sure everything is organised for my return in a few weeks."

Bihua bowed deeply. "Yes, my lady. Have a safe journey." The armoured maid said, stepping to the side of the road to wait patiently for her lady to depart.

She nodded to the maid and moved to Ping's right-hand side. "Please, lead on."

He wasn't particularly prepared for such a sudden addition, but he kept his composure as he ordered the congregation to carry on. They moved off under the watchful eye of Bihua, who waited until the group disappeared into the woodlands before she made her way back to Chengdu on foot. The young maid knew full well that when her lord discovered his wife gone, there was going to be hell to pay.

Shangxiang couldn't have been anymore smug if she tried, though her face managed to maintain an expression of innocence. She preserved an air of dignity, smiling pleasantly at anyone who looked her way, offering them nothing to worry about.

She couldn't believe she had gotten away with it, with nobody daring to discredit her deceit. How she had managed to leave the city without detection or question was through pure luck alone, though she did pat herself on the back for having the cunning to pull it off. Her heart jumped with excitement, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them – though a part of her thought that this was probably going to be an uneventful excursion. She knew that she had garnered a few uncertain stares, though in particular, she was receiving very calm albeit apprehensive glances from Liu Shan, but she made sure her gaze didn't linger on him more than it needed to. She had to play off how casual a moment this was, that this wasn't something for them to be suspicious about.

She didn't want to look back as Chengdu slowly disappeared behind them. She wasn't thinking about what she was leaving behind for the time being, instead, trying to keep her mind on positive things. This was her chance to be back on the field, and maybe a golden opportunity to form more meaningful bonds with her fellow travellers.

* * *

There was a pleasant perfume of tea in the air, a welcoming woody-scented aroma that danced under Zhuge Liang's nose. His wife would soon bring in their morning tea, a wonderful cleansing aid to clear both his mind and body and prepare him for the day ahead. Though, as he sat there in his quiet, airy reception room, the scent of tea was merely an afterthought as he concentrated on the open window to his right, particularly the air drifting through it. The skies may have been bright, blue and clear, with only a smattering of clouds, but there was something about the sudden change in temperature that told him that the day wasn't going to remain a good one.

The weather was always something he could grasp with great certainty, but even he had to admit that sometimes he couldn't predict the most subtle of changes that could quickly turn things upside-down. He watched the winds slowly pick up; though currently not forceful by any means, he knew there would grow into something much more formidable.

He didn't turn his attention from the window even as Yueying stepped into the room with a tray of cups and potted tea. The crockery clinked as she set it down on the low wooden table, and with great care, she set the items in their usual places between them. She glanced over at him, all the while meticulously serving out their fragrant cups of tea, not once spilling a single drop.

"What are you thinking?" She asked softly.

"The weather is turning," he said thoughtfully.

She turned her attention to the window, listening to the wind brush the large trees just outside. "How long before the rain sets in? Early afternoon?"

"Possibly," he murmured, slowly turning to his wife. "Though, I sense it will be quite a violent downpour."

"I suppose I will cancel my plans to test out the juggernauts. I don't think they're ready to face torrential rain just yet." She pushed his cup towards him. "You seem particularly bothered all of a sudden."

"Hmm..." He raised the cup of piping liquid to his lips, inhaling the welcoming bouquet of infused flavours. "Sometimes the weather even surprises me. Such subtle shifts can change everything in an instant." He took a sip of tea, languishing over the taste before continuing. "Even I can be outwitted by mother nature herself."

Yueying lightly chuckled, sipping her tea also. "To admit to being a mere mortal, I am surprised."

Even he had to chuckle. "Sometimes even I have to concede to the Gods." His face became somewhat sombre. "Though in truth, it did bring my thoughts to young master Guan Ping and his companions. They set off not too long ago to deliver supplies in the northeast. It had seemed the weather would be good for the outset of their journey. Now it appears the Gods will be testing their will."

Yueying nodded, setting her cup down. "Hopefully they won't be befallen with too much trouble because of the weather."

"We can only pray for their safety." He cast another thoughtful glance to the window, something in his heart saying their journey was not going to be an easy one by any measure. "Let us hope they can govern their travels wisely. Those supplies are much needed by our allies."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.**

 **Chapter 4**

As was hoped, the beginning of their journey was relatively calm. Guan Ping had only to contend with Bao Sanniang and her constant attempts at making conversation. It wasn't necessarily the subject matter that was boring, but rather it was her perspective on the subjects that drove him to distraction. He could have cared less about the length of a horses' noses, just one of the many random subjects that she had decided to bring up out of the blue. It aggravated him more when she became distracted by a monkey trying to enjoy its lunch in the trees and had to admonish her for stopping to lag behind for unnecessary sightseeing. With the threat of being left behind ringing in her ear, the thought of straying from her beloved Guan Suo was enough to hasten her speed to keep up with the group.

Sightseeing might have been off the cards, but they certainly appreciated some of the beautiful countryside they passed through. The scenery was far-flung from the war-torn fields they had become accustomed to.

The most leisurely part of their journey had them skirting around villages nestled in the depths of the countryside. The paths were perfectly smooth to navigate, worn over time by hoof and foot. They could see small houses built of stone or wood peeking out from behind larch and fir trees. Young children were seen playing together in small groves, either chasing each other around or kicking about a feather-stuffed ball in a game of cuju. When they noticed the young warriors pass not too far away, they stopped to gape in awe of them, some even brave enough to wave at them. Not wanting to disappoint their young admirers, they returned their waves with earnest regard.

Their brief foray through expansive farmland gave them a view of the farmers and their families hard at work tending to their fields. The land was striped by new crops, a naturally beautiful patterning of smooth earth carefully laid out in straight lines. The sun-bleached faces of the workers were hidden under wide brimmed straw hats, light sweat already glistening on their skin from many hours of long labour. Ping himself appreciated the hardworking efforts of these people, having been born into a farming family before his adoption. The farmers amid their work bowed humbly to the party of warriors as they passed by.

By the early afternoon, they had reached a dense woodland area. Under the shade of the trees they stopped to take a brief respite for lunch. They had found a spring close by to take water for themselves and the horses; they also gathered plenty to top up their supplies. As they ate their fruit and baozi, it was Xingcai who pointed out that the sky was distantly showing signs of unpromising weather.

"It seems like rain could be heading our way soon," she said. "The way the clouds are darkening, I'm sure it will be a heavy downpour."

Ping nodded. "Well, hopefully we'll be just north of De Yang by the time the worst of it sets in. I'm sure we'll avoid the worst of it before we bed down for the night."

Sat around together they made the most of their short time to relax and converse over their surroundings, particularly with Yinping and Sanniang giggling over a rock that was shaped like a duck. All the while Sun Shangxiang listened to them intently, partaking in her food mostly in silence, offering titbits to the conversation when she was asked – mainly by Sanniang who seemed keen to know whether she preferred peaches or kumquats. Shangxiang observed the group and their cohesiveness, enjoying their vibrant humour with a small smile. She quietly hoped to engage more with them casually as time progressed, still sensing some awkwardness over her presence. Guan Ping was still clearly puzzled over the circumstances of her joining the group. She'd caught Guan Xing whispering to him that there was something questionable about it all. He'd even suggested she might be considering heading back to her homelands of Wu and had used them as an opportunity to progress safely part of the way. Ping kyboshed the thoughts, which she was at least thankful for – at least he didn't think that lowly of her. Despite his uncertainty, he didn't want to completely disbelieve that things had possibly not been conveyed to them in the first place about her joining them.

After they finished their food, they promptly continued on their journey, thankful to be flanked by the thickly congregated trees to block out the heat of the sun. Liu Shan had started to make idle comments about how tiring it all was – probably still a little disappointed that he'd been hurried through his lunch – though he was eventually shut down by Xingcai calmly telling him not to complain, that their journey had barely begun and he would adjust to the regimented way of things.

The path remained smooth for quite a few miles as they kept a steady pace. As time went on, they could feel the wind start to pick up, a telltale sign that the bad weather was soon to reach them. The cool current of air began to bluster, tousling the tall trees, causing delicate leaves to detach from the branches and flutter down around them.

"That wind..." Yinping almost shuddered, her hair dancing over her shoulders animatedly.

Guan Ping was keeping hope that they would make it before they were caught by the worst of the weather, but those thoughts quickly crashed down before him after trekking another half a mile further. Just before an incline in the path, there were two huge fallen trees blocking the way. Their thick, wide trunks – partially resting one on top of the other – were wedged between two other trees on the other side, which both seemed damaged and angled precariously. This might not have been an issue if it hadn't of been for the dense congregation of trees on either side of the narrow roadway. They might – though with a struggle – have managed to navigate around the obstacle with the horses alone, but there was no way the carts would get through.

The group halted their progress, with Ping and Xingcai approaching the fallen trees to deliberate over their situation. They were ill-equipped to deal with the problem. They could even end up putting themselves in danger even attempting to move anything. It wasn't worth risking Yinping using her extraordinary strength to try and clear the way just in the case the trees they were wedged against suddenly came toppling down on top of them. Knowing there was little they could do, the two went back to rejoin their companions.

"What are we going to do?" Suo asked. "Is there no way we can move them?"

"We couldn't do it alone," Ping said, dejectedly. "It's far too dangerous."

"When do you think this happened?" Shangxiang wondered, inspecting from afar. She didn't want to get too close, not with the way the other damaged trees were groaning with the ever growing winds. She liked danger and adventure, but not a tree to the head.

"Possibly two nights ago," Xing surmised. "There were heavy winds just before dawn from what I remember. This road isn't too heavily used, which could explain why it appears nobody has noticed or dealt with it yet."

Ping was quietly flustered. They had only just started the journey, and already they were faced with an issue that was disrupting his carefully laid plans. He pulled the map out of the leather pouch at his waist and unfolded it knowing the only thing to do now was to divert their path. But it meant backtracking, and it was going to add more time to their journey; and with the weather ready to turn against them, they needed to move fast.

Xingcai looked over his shoulder. "What are you thinking?"

"We'll have to turn around and divert onto the northern path towards the mountains. That way we can skirt around the forest region." He quickly folded up the map and put it away. "But we'll need to move fast. I have a feeling that the weather is catching up to us fast, and it may end up being hostile than first anticipated."

She wasn't about to disagree. She'd sensed it as well. "We'll need to keep our eyes out for shelter. I doubt we'll make it to the first town today."

His face tightened with dismay. She was right. He didn't like how things were going. "Okay, we need to turn around," he told the rest of them. "There was a turning not too far back. It will take us up towards the mountains. We'll need to hurry though. We may have to find viable shelter." It was looking unlikely they would reach any town or village at this point. They were used to camping out, but not in terrible weather on rocky, unforgiving terrain.

It took a little time to turn the carts around on the narrow roadway, especially with the inexperience of the cart drivers. There were fewer issues with Xing who handled everything with calm precision, while Yinping struggled a bit with getting her cart to angle correctly as she turned. Liu Shan was a complete disaster however. He suddenly seemed to lose the ability to remember his right from his left and quickly became confused over his task, leading to Ping harshly commanding him to step aside before taking over himself to complete the task.

With a more hurried pace, they rode back towards their detour. The mountains looked almost daunting in the distance, especially surrounded by growing grey clouds. Putting the forest behind them – and with a lot of trepidation – they ascended up the rocky path, pursued by the deteriorating weather all the way.

They were halfway up the rocky foothills when the first drops of rain fell. It would enough incentive to move faster, even though they knew they couldn't outrun the full force of the rain. With bated breath, they pushed aside their concerns. They couldn't let the panic sink in with such important cargo in their hands.

Eventually, Mother Nature caught up with them, and down came the heavy torrents of rain. Though they were quickly soaked to the bone, they forged on, their horses battling on the now sludgy path. It was surprising how quickly the rain had caused the ground to become so treacherous. The horses and carts laboured dearly to keep traction.

Shangxiang found herself suddenly taking the lead up the ascent, gaining ground where Xingcai's and Guan Ping's horses were still trying to keep steady footing. Pushing through the downpour, she squinted, trying to keep the water out of her eyes with an arm over her brow. She scanned the terrain, desperately searching for shelter or just some small part of the ground that wasn't bogged down.

Through keen observation she spied two cave openings through a cluster of drooping trees imbedded into the side of the rock-face at the top of the rising path. The ground there mostly levelled out.

This was what they needed. Feeling proud of herself, Shangxiang turned back, calling over to her comrades about her findings. Of course, her hollers sounded very meagre with the rain pounding down around her, washing away the words as they left her lips. It was lucky that Ping had looked up at her, just managing to catch the last couple of words as he drew closer. He gave her a confused look, forcing her to repeat herself at the top of her lungs.

"I SAID, I THINK I FOUND SHELTER!" She clamoured, pointing towards the caves. Ping's attention went to where she was indicating and he nodded, some relief appearing in his eyes. He struggled to turn his horse on the slippery ground, gaining the attention of his comrades as he made gestures as best he could to tell them that they had found somewhere to rest.

The unburdened horses, though struggling, just about managed to battle their way up the slope. Unfortunately those attached to the carts were clearly fighting a losing battle, making little to no progress midway up the slope, their wheels barely able to keep grip as they sunk into the mud.

"It's not working!" Yinping called out.

Guan Suo whistled to grab Sanniang's attention and indicated to the back of the rear cart. They rode carefully to the back of it where he pushed back the cover to reach two coils of rope. He threw one over to Sanniang.

"We can tether our horses to the sides of the carts and try to give extra assistance up the hill," he told her. She nodded agreeably and followed his lead as they struggled back up to the first cart handled by Xing. They tied one end of the ropes to the backs of their saddles, and the other to a large bolted handles on either side of the cart, usually used for manual handling. With the ropes secured for stability, they pushed forward, trying to alleviate the strain between the two of them to battle up the muddy terrain. With much effort, their labours were rewarded as the cart began to make progress.

Ping saw their plan of action and nodded approvingly, turning to Xingcai as she drew up close. "Let's do the same with Liu Shan's cart," he shouted over the rain.

Mirroring Suo and Sanniang, the pair flanked either side of Liu Shan's cart. He was struggling more than the others to keep control. His horses were tired and bogged down with the weight of the cart they were secured to. Ping retrieved the ropes, tossing one reel over to Xingcai and they attached themselves to the cart handles. In sync, they took on the strain of the incline to assist the tired horses, urging them to push on.

Shangxiang had already reached the top flat, not far from the cave mouths. From an initial inspection, she could see that one was just a deep gully in the rock, while the other went in a lot further. As she moved closer, she could see the inside took on a sort of wide hourglass shape. The two caves connected through a weathered hole large enough for an average size person to pass through. The gully cave would be perfect to shelter the horses, as there were ridges worn into the side of the rocks that had openings to secure them to the wall. The Princess dismounted and quickly drew her steed in out of the rain, tying the reigns through one of the prominent apertures in the rocks. She stayed just out of the rain, watching Suo and Sanniang bring Xing and has cart up to the top. She beckoned them to head her way. The quicker they got the horses and carts sheltered the better for them all.

Though they had managed to get one cart to the top, it was a fight to get the other two up with the hard rain pelting them with an almost painful force. Yinping had to hold back with her cart as Liu Shan's was still struggling up the incline just ahead of her. She called out to the uneasy horses as she tried to keep them calm despite the unforgiving weather.

Liu Shan struggled with his own horses, even as they started to make ground. He just didn't have a proper handle of them and they became anxious with the unstable terrain and driving rain. He could hear Xingcai and Ping shouting instructions and support to him, but he found it hard to focus on who was saying what, especially when the rain drowned out their voices.

But it wasn't actually Shan who completely faltered in the next instance; in fact, it was just an unfortunate case of equipment failure. The handle attached to Xingcai's side creaked and with a violent twist, suddenly wrenched off. Her horse lurched forward, skidding as it stopped itself from falling; but in its movement sideways, it jammed Xingcai against the rock face next to her, catching her leg and shoulder. Though the light armour she wore prevented serious injury, the jarring force was bound to leave deep bruising. She stifled a cry, more focused on making sure her horse didn't go down, which luckily it didn't.

Ping called out to her and halted their progress, grabbing onto the harness of one of the closest horses on Liu Shan's cart, trying to instil some control amidst such a problematic situation. Xingcai was favouring her knee as she managed to steady her horse and regain full control.

"I'm okay," she said despite clearly trying to brush off the throbbing pain in her limbs.

Shangxiang quietly cursed over the unfolding situation, not enjoying being an idle spectator as she paced at the top of the slope. But that wasn't going to be for long. Leaving her horse, she headed back down the hill on foot. Guan Suo and Sanniang dismounted and left their horses tied up with Shangxiang's, going back to help as well, leaving Xing to guide his cart undercover.

"Let Xingcai take over the cart," Ping shouted over to Liu Shan, who blinked up at him in surprise. "It's too much for you to handle right now."

Shan seemed to hesitate, wanting to protest, but saw Xingcai dismounting and acquiesced to his orders, clambering off the cart seat and onto the muddy ground with a brief flicker of aversion. He was just reaching to take the reins from Xingcai when he noticed a number of small stones tumble down the cliff face behind her, drawing his attention to a few larger rock dislodging themselves from above. They were suddenly tumbling down towards them.

"Xingcai!" He cried out.

In response, she snapped around, taking a split second to take in the situation before pouncing into action. Before he could react, she was pushing him out of harm's way. He had wanted to be the heroic one, even starting to reach out for her, but suddenly found himself being pushed under the cart, mud splashing up around them as she leapt over to cover him. Most of the large rocks avoided them and the carts, one fair-sized though did manage to catch the side of her ankle. She buried her cry of pain into her arm. Xingcai's horse was startled and attempted to bolt up the hill but started to slip and slide all over the place. Luckily Shangxiang was there to grab the reins and settle the horse down with a gentle hand.

Guan Ping had circled his horse out of the way of the falling rocks, observing that more could be soon to follow. Dismounting, he called back over to Suo to take his horse and he rushed to aide Xingcai and Liu Shan. He almost skidded in the mud as she came to a stop, kneeling by their sides.

"Are you okay?" He asked, offering Xingcai a hand. She accepted, hissing as he hitched her up from beneath the cart; her already injured leg was now shooting with pain.

"I'll manage," she said, trying not to let the injury become the focus, knowing he'd make a fuss if she gave him leeway. "Just get me on the cart."

"Okay." Ping looked over at the shaken Liu Shan. "Get to the back of the cart. You'll need to help push." The order wasn't received with much fervour but Shan did as he was told anyway, picking himself up out of the mud.

Before Ping could even attempt to assist Xingcai to her feet, more rocks came toppling down the rock face; Yinping shouted to warn them and Ping instinctively covered his companion. Shan skittered to the opposite side of the cart for safety. The rocks bounced around them, one clipping his shoulder, a small shard breaking off and catching his cheek. He could feel a slither of warm blood run down his cheek, though it was quickly washed away by the rainwater pelting them. The cart horses were only prevented from panicking by Sanniang and Suo distracting their attention.

"We've got to hurry," Ping told Xingcai, lifting her up despite his shoulder protesting. "We don't know how many more rocks are ready to fall."

She nodded, battling through her pain as he helped her into the cart seat. Ping turned to see both Shangxiang and Sanniang pass him by as they went to the rear of the cart to join Shan, who had returned to his instructed position when it was safe to do so. Suo had taken Ping's horse up the incline to safety as Xing – having finished sorting out his own cart and horses – rejoined them, taking control of Xingcai's nervous horse. Shangxiang gave Ping an acknowledging nod, ready to get down and dirty like the rest of them to get the cart up the slope. The eldest Guan joined his companions, using his uninjured shoulder to press against the cart. He shouted instructions to a returning Suo – who went to the side of the cart where there was still a handle – and to Xingcai, and they began their combined efforts to get the cart moving again.

The cart horses heaved and struggled, their hooves just about gripping into the slick ground as they pressed forward. At the back, the four pushed, slipping and straining to get the cart in continuous motion. Shan and Sanniang stumbled quite a bit in the mud while trying to maintain a grip, the former even falling over flat twice in succession, though he managed to peel himself back up to keep the momentum going. Their combined efforts proved effective as the cart began to gain ground and climb the incline. Once over the top, they left Xingcai and Shan to guide the cart towards the caves while the other five went back to Yinping's cart.

"We should use two horses..." Ping began, hoping to use their original tactic to get the cart moving.

"Brother, this cart doesn't have handles on the sides," Xing pointed out, now riding Xingcai's horse. When Ping noticed this, a scowl etched itself across his face.

"How did we miss that? Damn it, I should have made sure all the carts were the same."

"Don't worry about it," Shangxiang mollified. "You weren't to know they would be a vital feature."

"Let me help push!" Yinping clamoured eagerly.

That wasn't a bad idea. Her strength would be vital. Ping agreed to the suggestion. "Sanniang, can you handle the cart?"

"I'll do my best!" She assured, quickly switching places with Yinping.

Ping with Suo, Shangxiang and Yinping amassed at the back while Xing kept watch on his mount for any further rocks that might fall. With Ping once again giving the order, they began to push, with Sanniang keeping the horses strict under control. Of course, this time, it was so much easier – all thanks to Yinping. Her insurmountable strength had her pushing both cart and horses up the muddy incline mostly with mostly her own effort. There was no surprise amongst the group only sheer appreciation that Yinping's addition made it light work. They reached the top in no time, scrambling to get themselves and the horses out of the rain.

The carts were backed into the larger cave while the horses were separated and kept together in the gully, safe from the wind and rain. Xingcai carefully lowered herself from the cart seat though found she was struggling to bear too much weight on her injured leg. Xing offered a supporting shoulder, which she initially refused... until she almost fell, then quietly accepted, not at all happy with burdening herself on someone else.

The eight travellers were soaked, muddy, and thoroughly miserable. The rainstorm carried on relentlessly, the sound echoing loudly around the cave.

"How long do you think it will last?" Sanniang asked nobody in particular, wringing out her scarf to create a puddle in the entranceway.

"Who knows," Shangxiang said dejectedly, leaning back against the wall. "But those clouds don't look promising. It could go on for hours."

"If that's the case, we probably won't be going anywhere tonight," Xing said conclusively. Nobody liked that idea, but there was little they could do about it.

All they could do was stand around watching the rain liquefy the once solid ground into running muddy water. Ping quietly cursed. This was not how he wanted his first proper mission in command to go. It suddenly seemed like a very bad omen.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.  
**

 **Chapter 5**

Shangxiang recalled a time in her childhood when she'd asked her father whether the rain was the tears of the heavens. Sun Jian had laughed heartily and told her that the rain was a bounty to quench the thirst of the lands.

"The sun, the rain, the snow... they all serve their purpose to maintain the harmony of the lands," he'd said, patting her confused head.

Maybe in some mystical way they did, but right there in the present day, she didn't believe this was any sort of harmony or bounty. It was a nightmare.

The rain continued to pelt the ground unrelenting in its force. A couple of times there had been glimmers of hope, that maybe the rain might give away to much more promising weather, but such hope was promptly dashed as more clouds crept in to add to the barrage. It was almost as if the skies were taunting them, testing their resolve.

It just didn't seem like it was going to stop. Well, not anytime soon.

But it wasn't just the Princess who lamented their situation with restrained misery; the others too had their spirits dampened by the cruel weather. Despite their circumstances they had kept themselves busy, wanting to be prepared just in case the weather turned in their favour.

As the night drew in, so did a heavy mist, swallowing the distant scenery and quashing the moon's glow to create a thick, heavy darkness. Xing and Suo were quick to set about building a fire constructed from stray branches and kindling to warm their damp surroundings. Once alight, they took a couple of candles from their stock and lit them, placing them on shelf-like rocks naturally weathered into the walls. The light they gave – combined with the fire – bathed the cave in a soft orange hue.

With their dwellings warmer, they set about to get out of their wet, muddy clothes. The four ladies moved to the back of the cave to occupy a small, private alcove to undress. Yinping had assisted Xingcai as she'd hobbled her way into the recess – much to her tight-lipped displeasure. Though she was in discomfort she insisted that she could undress herself and dry off without assistance, but when it became apparent she was struggling to remove her slacks she begrudgingly allowed Yinping to help her.

While they waited for their turns, the young men had busied themselves setting up camp. While his brothers set up a pot in preparation for cooking dinner, Guan Ping had seen to it himself to take oats and grain to the horses who were gathered together in the front gulley, quite safe from the rain but clearly unhappy with the situation. He shared in their sentiments, but offered soothing words – not certain how much they would understand from his words – to ease their distress. They certainly seemed to find comfort in his soothing tone and made little fuss, enjoying the food offered to them.

Liu Shan was tasked with setting up an old large tortoise shell they'd found discarded in the cave to place in the entranceway to gather water. A piece of thin cloth was tied over the top to let the water through but catch any branches or any other such undesirable items. At least this way they would have water for cooking, drinking and washing. And with the way the water was filtering in through the entrance rocks courtesy of the rain, they would have plenty of it at their disposal.

With the ladies changed into clean, dry clothes, the four men swapped places. It was a cramped space for them all to be in and they awkwardly tried to avoid bumping into each other while undressing. Sanniang had joked loudly that having such gorgeous men so close by undressing she was highly tempted to sneak a peek. Ping had been quick to threaten that if she even thought of doing so, she'd be sleeping in the rain.

With the men now dressed in dry clothes as well, they gathered up all the dirty garments to be sorted for cleaning. Suo and Sanniang took charge of the task, sitting beside the fire to stay warm while they worked, keeping themselves busy while talking idly about memories of rainy days from when they were children.

Yinping and Xing watched over the horses while Ping tended to Xingcai's injuries. Though she insisted she was capable of handling it herself, he had put his foot down – using his given authority – to force her to sit on a rock and allow him to strap her leg and ankle. He had no intention of sitting and watching her struggle for the sake of her pride.

"You're injured yourself," Xingcai pointed out softly, grimacing as Ping tightened a bandage around her sore ankle.

"They're just scratches," he assured her, despite his body aching in warning of the bruises to come.

She was not impressed with his response. "You've given me much grief over my wounds. Why won't you let anyone take care of yours as well?"

"You're just trying to divert the attention now, Xingcai," he said, continuing to wrap her leg. "I am clearly nowhere near as hurt as you are. My shoulder is a little tender, but nothing rest won't resolve."

She sighed. "You're very stubborn."

"As are you; but let's not compare war wounds. I fear I would be humbled by the wounds you gained for your bravery, given what we just went through." He finished strapping her ankle, gently testing her movement. "How does it feel?"

Though sore, it felt secure and well supported. She nodded with some satisfaction. "It feels good. Hopefully it will heal in no time."

"If sheer determination alone could heal you, you'd be back running around in days without concern. " He knelt back. "I'm sure any man would envy your resilience. You've taken quite the beating and have soldiered on, not shying away from danger."

Xingcai brushed off the appraisal, uncomfortable with such a respected compliment. "I did what I had to do. Though I'm sure there must be some irony that I have an ankle injury when it was not long ago that my brother injured his. I'm sure he would have something to say about that if he were here." She touched her bandaged leg, the throbbing a little bit of a distraction from having to meet Ping's gaze, which she could feel was warm and attentive on her. "But forgetting about Bao, you were right with what you said before," she continued, "it isn't a competition to compare wounds. I am grateful for the assistance. I just don't like being a burden to anyone."

"I don't think anyone likes to be a burden. It's just unfortunate circumstances." He stood, brushing down his knees. "After some rest, you may feel more comfortable to walk around on it. Hopefully when we reach the first village, a doctor will be able to properly check you over."

"It doesn't feel like anything is broken. Small mercies I suppose. Hopefully rest will indeed make walking more comfortable."

"I think it would be wiser for you to drive one of the carts while you are healing. The less stress you put on your leg the better." She didn't seem wholly disappointed, understanding she wouldn't be particularly useful in any other role at that moment. He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Please take care from now on. I want you back up to full strength soon." She simply nodded in return.

Shangxiang moved away from the fire after warming her hands, walking over to Ping and Xingcai. "I suppose we should set our beds for the night. I'm sure it was far from what you had hoped, but it's better than nothing I suppose."

It hadn't been; not at all. Ping was still quietly aggrieved that his plans had been somewhat scuppered by circumstances outside of his control. It wasn't his ideal choice, but much like how they dealt with any conditions the battlefield had to offer, they would have to adapt accordingly. He turned to Liu Shan, who was sat by the fire seemingly unsure of what to do next. His usual languid smile was not quite as relaxed as it usually was. "Liu Shan," Ping said, grabbing his attention. "Help me lay some blankets down for bedding." The young man seemed a little sheepish at first, but did not argue. Though he was a little reluctant to leave the fire, he followed Ping to where one of the carts was stood, helping him locate the blankets. The contents of the cart weren't too damp thanks to their protective oiled coverings.

Suo and Sanniang had acquired some of the water that had been gathering in the tortoise shell, which was already full in such a short time, and had set to work cleaning the clothes as the others went about laying out the makeshift beds. Once cleaned, the clothes were laid out not far from the fire to dry.

The beds were not going to be the most comfortable of sleeping arrangements. They'd been padded out the best they could, though it was probably not going to be the most relaxing of nights. But then again, anything was better than just sleeping on solid rock.

With the task done, Shangxiang wandered over to the entranceway to watch the rain again. Whether they were heavens tears or a harmonious gift to the land, the rain was droll and cold. She shivered quietly, starting to somewhat regret having been so bold and self-indulgent. She could have been in her own bed that night laid beside her husband, listening to the rain from afar inside a dry and comfortable palace. Maybe this was some kind of divine punishment, or certainly some kind of sign that she shouldn't have acted so impetuously. Well, whatever the case, she was going to try and make the most of such an unfortunate situation. If there was one thing that people bonded over it was shared adversity. Or it could just make them all excessively tetchy...

She sighed, watching the rain dancing within the mist, knowing it was going to be a long, gloomy night.

* * *

Another exhausting day done, Liu Bei returned to his chambers. It was late, the night sky thick with fog as the rain showered down across the city. He had taken time to listen to the droplets splatter on the stone window ledge on his walk back from the main halls, probably the only time he'd stopped during the entire day. If it wasn't one meeting it was another calling for his attention to political and military matters which had taken up the whole of his day. It was a rare moment that he could put aside the responsibilities of building and governing his kingdom to appreciate the little things, even if it was the dreary weather.

He knew his hard work was paying off. Local industry was booming, even more trade opportunities had been secured, and there was the prospect of procuring more land in the future to expand the kingdom. Out of everything that made him happy the most was the great satisfaction amongst the common people. While there was still discord and petty quarrels, he managed to forge forward with kindness and logic. If there was one thing he was good at, it was handling domestic affairs. He was no slouch on the battlefield either when diplomacy didn't work, but where he worked best was negotiating over commerce and making sure his people were given the chance to build proper homes and make an honest living, even in such turbulent times. To feel he was succeeding in creating stability had made every long hour spent in meetings all worthwhile. His taking control of Yi Province had brought much security and strength to the lands, which were starting to thrive once more.

It had not come as an easy task to reinvigorate Yi, and Liu Bei couldn't even count the hours he'd spent brokering deals. He had to admit sometimes that he was working too hard. Even with countless generals and advisors at his side all willing to put their lives on the line for him, he couldn't just sit back and let them do all the work.

As he stepped into his private residence, the lamps had already been lit for him and his clothes laid out ready in his private changing room. He didn't require any assistance and had sent his aide away with it being such a late hour. As he discarded his robes, he noted that it seemed very quiet in his chambers. His wife would usually still be awake waiting for his return with her bright eyes and vibrant smile there to greet him at the door. Though, it was a possibility that for once she had simply retired to bed early.

Shangxiang had been eternally loving and patient, though he knew he must have disappointed her always constantly away from her side working. He was thankful for her presence, knowing they would be rewarded for all his hard work down the line; maybe then he would have more time to spend with her enjoying the fruits of his labour.

Dressed in his sleeping attire, he snubbed out the candles as he moved from his changing room to the antechamber, which was almost unnerving with how heavy the silence was – he could barely even hear the rain through the shuttered windows.

As he approached the bedroom, he was surprised to find the candles lit. Maybe she was still awake after all.

"My lady?" He opened the doors, revealing an equally hushed room. His face fell, confused to find nobody waiting within. Their bed was empty, still freshly made from the morning. A strange feeling washed over him, something that didn't sit well in the pit of his stomach. He found it strange that he couldn't even pick up the lingering scent of her perfume in the air.

Concern rose in his chest, though before any other thoughts came into his head, he noticed something on the table by their bedside. Upon approaching, he quickly discovered what it was. It was a letter.

* * *

The glowing fire accompanied by the few candles illuminated the cave in a honey glow. Outside, the rain still poured, the sound spluttering against the muddy ground. The uncertainty of how the weather was going to fair in the days to come left trepidation in the air and it wasn't long before tensions surfaced. The bickering had been mostly trivial. Particularly Guan Ping had not liked the idea of using any of their supplies to substitute towards their dinner, but Shangxiang had quickly pointed out that their own personal supplies between them were not be substantial enough to feed them all sufficiently. Sanniang had certainly backed up the Princess on that front, mentioning that what they had left was originally only supposed to last them until they reached the next town – and with that delayed, they were certainly in a quandary. Even so, Ping was stubborn on the subject, clashing with Shangxiang in an attempt to make her understand his point of view. The supplies, after all, were for more needy people. But she was quick to argue that it was reasonable thinking that they could collect more on the way to make up for what was taken. They had the support of their lord on that front as well. Eventually Guan Xing stepped in, reasoning that they should be sparing with what they ate and that they would not take anything from the supplies that wasn't easily restocked. Though Ping didn't like it, he relented in the end and they distributed their own food with a little of the supplies to at least get a decent meal.

After their stomachs were filled, it was organised that the groups would take shifts to sleep. Some would stay up to tend the fire, stand on guard for security and look after the horses' needs. Ping decided to take the first guard watch and would assist Xing if he needed help caring for the horses during his shift. Shangxiang and Liu Shan would tend to the fire, the former by offer – mostly due to being restless – and the latter without much choice in the matter. The rest were told to get plenty of rest. The way the bedding was laid out gave them plentiful room to rest without being too cramped together, though that didn't stop Xingcai and Yinping sleeping almost side by side for warmth, while Sanniang snuggled up against Suo's back like a kitten with its master.

Despite a cool breeze whistling in the entranceway, they were protected from the worst of the rain by the overgrowth of trees clustered close to the cave mouth.

Shangxiang sat with her knees tight to her chest watching the vibrant flames. Every so often she tossed a few branches in to be gobbled up by the fire to keep it stoked. It was quiet for some time, just the rain and the crackling tinder filling the void of soundlessness.

"Such an unexpected turn of events," Shan eventually said, his voice soft, the sound barely even echoing off the walls with how feather-light he spoke. It was clear his voice was just for her to hear. She made a light noise in response, keeping her focus on the fire. "This wasn't what you expected to happen when you made all your plans."

She gave him the barest of glances. "I don't think anyone expected to be sleeping in a cave. Not even you," she said, giving no regard to his implicating statement.

Shan's placid expression never changed as he cocked his head to the side, looking at her with knowing eyes. "My father never mentioned your joining the party because he never consented it in the first place," he stated, completely calm. "It was just fortunate for you to have such an affluent position that dear Guan Ping and the others would not dare question it. Your plans would have become quickly unravelled if they had indeed turned back to try and confirm your story. It was a good thing you were so confident in your tales."

Shangxiang said nothing, keeping up a mask of innocence even though inwardly she was bristling at how easily he had unravelled her lies. She figured he was enjoying knocking her off her figurative pedestal.

 _Not quite the fool he makes himself out to be_. She tossed another small branch into the fire. "If that's what you wish to think," she said, attempting to fob him off with a nonchalant reply.

"It's not simply what I chose to think; it's the truth, no?" He tossed a stick into the fire as well. "Certainly I'm not the only one who was dubious, but I suppose some of the others were happy to believe you without question. Why would their dear lord's wife lie to them after all?"

She looked him square in the eyes then. "I'd rather you keep these _thoughts_ to yourself. No need to cause any bother. We have greater issues to be thinking about then my presence with the group."

He gave what was an obedient bow of the head, though in some way it seemed rather mocking with the humour lingering in his eyes. "As you wish."

She cautiously glanced about as discreetly as she could to see if anyone else had heard their discussion, but the four laid out behind them were fast asleep, and Guan Ping was statue like across the way, occupied by his thoughts and the rain, their soft voices most likely drowned out by the sounds outside. And Guan Xing would have been too far away in the gulley dealing with the horses to hear them.

"You seem to desire a need for adventure," he commented, resting his cheek into the palm of his propped hand.

She glanced at him, trying to gauge his comment, expecting some further needling to come from it. She kept her guard well and truly up, not wanting to accidently admit anything. "Don't you?"

"Not quite as you do..."

She kept her eyes firmly fixed on his, not backing down. "And what adventure do _I_ seek?"

"The adventure that warriors seem to crave on the battlefield," he regarded. "And... freedom."

His tone seemed poignant then when he said 'freedom'. She gave an 'umm', a temporary response as her mind ticked over his words. It was all true. She didn't like to be shackled down; it was probably why she had even ventured out on this excursion when the opportunity had arisen. Despite the guilt she felt in regards to Liu Bei, she couldn't help but feel reinvigorated, happy to be striped of the regalia of her high position and just be the person she felt she was. Not just a Princess, but a fighter, and someone who could fit in with the everyday man.

"Some of us are born to let our spirits be carried away on the wind, and our bodies follow in eager chase," she said poetically, leaning her head into the crook of her arm.

"You're an admirable woman. I wish I had such vigour as you do." Though he continued to smile, his eyes seemed a lot sadder now. "I don't quite have the spirit of a warrior, as I know others wish I had."

"I'm sure it's in there somewhere," she found herself saying in consolation of his feelings. "You've surprised me more than once today with how intelligent and hard working you have been."

"You think I have been hard working?"

"For someone who doesn't really want to be here, you've pulled your weight and willingly been subservient under Guan Ping's command," she praised.

"I wish I could be more heroic like Ping," he admitted quietly.

Shangxiang glanced over at the man in question, stood straight backed and dignified while guarding at the entrance of the cave. "He does seem to have those qualities, not that you see them very often. He spends too much time standing in the shadow of his father, much like the others do. They need to step out and prove their own generation is just as venerable."

Shan seemed a tad surprised by her opinion, those his eyes clearly agreed on the matter. "I believe we are somewhat cursed by upholding a legacy of greatness. There is much pressure on each and every one of us to be just as good or even greater. But they have set a standard that we are struggling to meet expectations. While I'm sure the others wouldn't be so ready to openly agree, I am certain that they feel the same."

"Maybe one day," she pondered. "When your parents finally step back, maybe you'll stand a chance to do things your way. Greatness doesn't just take one form."

He nodded before turning to look over to where Xingcai was sleeping. The discomfort that had previously been on her face was now replaced with a placid expression.

"Maybe one day I can prove myself worthy to my friends, and not be such a burden to them," he said with much guilt. "So for once I can be the hero, even for someone as strong as Xingcai."

Shangxiang could easily sense that he was blaming himself for her injuries, carrying regret like a heavy weight on his shoulders. She laid a gentle hand on his back, turning his attention to her. "It's always good to have goals, but you have to remember, the likes of Xingcai are duty bound and proud, and she will always do what it takes to protect you. Besides, do you think a stubborn girl like her would stand by while you tried to defend her? Not for one minute."

A more determined look crossed his face. "I will try to train harder, to become stronger and more reliable."

"Heroes come with many faces. Your veneer might not be a mountain sized warrior, but you seem like you have many great qualities – maybe not physical strength, but the intellectual capability to rule a kingdom. And I'm sure that's something Xingcai and the others admire in you too."

Liu Shan said nothing, seemingly thinking about what she'd said, not quite sure if he believed her or not, but it was something he'd never even considered.

For all the time she'd spent in Shu, she had never really but much effort into bonding with her son-in-law, having not been quite sure what to make of his lax attitude in the past. They seemed to be two very different people with very different drives and ideals, but she found it surprisingly nice that they could sit there and be fairly open with one and other without derision. It definitely made the night seem less dreary.

"You can go get some sleep if you're feeling tired," she offered. "I'll stay here and tend the fire for you."

"No, it's fine," he assured her. "Guan Ping asked me to do this duty, and that is what I will do."

"Well, I hope you don't mind my company for a little longer then," she said with a smile.

He returned it. "Not at all. I am truly glad for your company."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.**

A/N: A very long time since I posted! Let's catch up again with the journeymen!

 **Chapter 6**

By nature, Guan Ping was self-deprecating. He was always the first to admonish himself a little too harshly for his failures and shortcomings. Even now, he quietly took the blame on himself for everything that had gone wrong, as if he should have had a greater grasp on the situation despite the circumstances being out of his hands. The weather was commanded by forces that couldn't be fathomed by mere mortals, after all. Though somehow, he was cursing himself for the stormy weather, as if there was some physical possibility he could have done something about it.

Outside, the rainfall was not coming down with the same force as it had before, but it kept falling nonetheless. The air was earthy, the scent and taste keeping his senses alert even though his body ached from his minor wounds; but it was the tiredness that was really weighing down on him, and he was attempting to fend it off by sheer will alone.

Ping was as dutiful as they came; he was determined to stay at his post as long as he could. He felt that standing strong was making up for not being a truly worthy leader, hoping to show he was still a reliable protector, come what may. He'd be damned if he even considered for one second of giving up. No, he had been put in this prominent position by those who most believed in him, and if he was going to ever improve as a warrior and as a man, he needed to stick to his firm resolve and face every problem that came their way with strength and conviction.

He could just about pick up the murmurings of Shangxiang and Liu Shan conversing behind him, their voices carefully hushed, uttering words that really didn't sound like words at all. But his ears weren't taking too much keen interest in their exchange, remaining sharp and alert to the rain outside, which mostly swallowed up every other discernible sound beyond the cavemouth. Every now and again, the horses made some sort of small noises, though Guan Xing was tending efficiently to their every need, so there was little to worry about on that front. All he had to do now was think of how they would proceed at first light – that was, if the rain decided to relent enough for them to make safe passage.

Hours passed, not that he seemed to notice. Time had become rather inconsequential as his thoughts overtook him. His attention was only distracted from his duty when he heard awkward footsteps coming towards him from behind. He turned to see Xingcai tentatively hobbling over to his position.

"You should be resting," he said softly, keeping his voice low so not to disturb the others.

"I _have_ been resting. I've slept for a few hours," she assured him as she joined his side. "I only awoke because my hip cramped. I really can't stay immobile for long, otherwise my leg tightens up. I'd rather be doing something else than sleeping for the time being."

"I hadn't realised that I'd been stood here for so long," Ping muttered, a little bit astonished. "Though, I do think you should try to rest more while your leg is still giving you trouble."

"It's better for me to move it about carefully," she insisted assuredly. "Besides, laying down is not the most comfortable experience at the moment."

"I'm just concerned that you could injure yourself further if you're not careful," he said with unease, not wanting to see her in anymore pain.

A faint smile came to her lips and she laid a hand on his shoulder. "I will be careful, I promise. Now, you should get a few hours of rest yourself. You will be no good to anyone if you are exhausted by first light."

His brow furrowed. "But you-"

"I will be fine for a few hours standing watch. I can even lean against the rocks if you are that concerned I am overdoing it." She gave him a rare teasing look. "Besides, I have a voice. I can shout an alert if I think anything is wrong. Though, I doubt it will come to that. The terrain outside is treacherous, as we all know. There is little up here for bandits to pillage, and I doubt anyone has been using this cave as a long term home, not even an animal. The chances are very low for anything to happen, but at least my fresher eyes will be more alert to any threats."

Xingcai always spoke with reason, even if he didn't like the fact she was taking over his position while injured; but he allowed himself to be convinced, feeling the tiredness really starting to fog his mind. With a nod, he retired to the makeshift bed, taking over Xingcai's former spot next to Yinping, who shuffled over sleepily to cuddle against his arm. He smiled at her, gently petting her sleep-tousled hair before closing his eyes, letting sleep overtake him.

Meanwhile, Shangxiang and Liu Shan remained by the fire, feeding the flames every so often with kindling, which were gobbled up greedily by the heart of the fire. Shan had wanted to protest Xingcai abandoning her spot of rest, but she had signalled for him to remain hushed so not to awaken the others. He did as he was told and had merely watched her exchange duties with Ping – who hadn't looked too thrilled about it – so that he could settle down for a few hours sleep.

"She has grit, that's for sure," Shangxiang remarked of Xingcai. "She'll be one of the army's top generals one day."

"She may even be as great as Zhao Yun," Shan praised, though was surprised by Shangxiang's disgusted snort. He cocked his head with intrigue. "You do not think so?"

"Oh, I have no doubts about Xingcai's skills, I just don't believe Zhao Yun is as great as everyone makes out." How often she'd had to endure him with that almost condescending manner that seemed to ooze from him with every speech and choreographed move he made. In her opinion, she had fought alongside greater warriors who didn't need to spout out a verbal accreditation of their greatness. She might have been able to stomach him more if he wasn't always around, like a shadow you could never escape.

"Zhao Yun has my deepest respect," Shan said with a glimmer of admiration in his eyes. "He saved my life when I was a new-born and has constantly put his own on the line time after time for my father and his causes. His deeds are worthy of the great awe of those around him."

Shangxiang snorted again, slightly louder, which she tried to stifle so not to disturb her companions. "I might respect it more if he didn't make such a song and dance about it all the time. His posturing is a little over the top."

"I'm sure we are all guilty at some point of shouting about our skills and deeds," Shan pointed out. "Am I right, 'Bow Princess'?"

She bristled silently, though rolled her eyes pointedly. "Yeah, whatever you say, Shan." Though, he had probably got her on that one.

A short while later, there was shuffling from behind the pair, indicating that some of their other comrades had awoken. They turned to notice both Guan Suo and Bao Sanniang now rising from the makeshift bed, the latter yawning against the back of her hand. By the look in her eyes, it seemed she wished she was still sleeping. Shangxiang could only believe with an inward snigger that she was having pleasant dreams about a certain someone she'd been clinging to.

"Princess, you should get some rest," Suo insisted in a hushed voice, approaching the fire. "I shall take over for now."

"I suppose you're right," she said, then turned to Liu Shan. "The same goes for you, too."

"I will not disagree," he said somewhat thankfully and rose with Shangxiang.

Suo quietly instructed Sanniang to take over from Xing's position handling the horses and she scampered off obediently. Shangxiang and Liu Shan took over the spots that had been vacated, pleased that they were still warm. It didn't take long for Shan to fall asleep, lightly snoring blissfully. Shangxiang, though tired, couldn't find sleep quite so easily. She entwined herself in the available blanket to fend off the chill in the air, but it wasn't the cold that kept her awake. It was her fretful mind kept bringing up thoughts of Liu Bei.

It didn't seem all that long ago she was flirting shamelessly with him, vying for his attention and praise while she knowingly watched her brother, Sun Quan, cringe with dismay. How jubilant she had felt knowing she was going to become his wife and share his bed night after night. It seemed almost unreal in this instance that she was suddenly so desperate to flee his presence for the sake of satisfying her own whims.

Was it that she was afraid that because of his heavy workload that he was quickly losing interest in her? Or was she being petulant that she couldn't monopolise more of his attention? As she lay there, clenching her eyes shut, she wondered if her being there was a truly ungrateful act of her own will. _I love you..._ She inwardly said to the vague image of her husband pictured behind closed lids, his smile soft if not somewhat disappointed, drawn from her own reflected psyche.

Eventually, she drifted off to sleep.

Long hours passed. The night – once permeated by rain – eventually fell silent as the clouds ceased their assault, just in time for dawn to break across the horizon. The sharp sunlight spread across the mountainous path, cutting through the dissipating mist and casting itself across the sodden earth, pouring golden rays through the cave entrance.

Guan Yinping, who had since taken over Xingcai's position, stepped out to look up at the clearer skies, a cool breeze brushing across her cheeks and jostling the locks of her obsidian hair. A few ominous clouds lingered, but for now, they did not seem to be threatening, moving slowly towards the southeast. This was their chance. With a sigh of relief, she hurried back inside.

Xingcai was sat at the fire with Guan Suo, folding dried clothes. She hadn't stood guard for all that long before Yinping had insisted to take over, almost strong-arming her back to bed, but she had relented to leave her post only on the condition she could sit by the fire for a while, as she wasn't particularly tired. She looked up as the young woman approached, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Is the weather good?" Xingcai asked with hope.

Yinping nodded briskly. "Yes. The rain has cleared."

"We should head off as soon as we can," Xingcai said, folding the last of the clothes onto the neatly created piles before her.

"I'll wake the others," Suo said, hopping back up to his feet.

Shangxiang was still nestled down, happily warm and cosy despite the lumpy-firmness of her makeshift bed. She was stirred from sleep by the sound of movement, but her brain didn't quite correlate the noises straight away. For a second, it seemed like she had dreamt up her whole escapade of venturing outside of Chengdu. Her dulled awareness caused her to linger on what she felt was an arm resting around her waist, confusing her tired brain even more into thinking she was in bed with her beloved. She rolled over, her eyes still closed as she buried her face against the warm body.

"Liu Bei..." She muttered softly, letting out a happy sigh.

Seconds later, her conscious mind swept aside the fog of sleep, as she became keenly alert to her situation. She quickly realised the scent from the flesh and clothes that the body she was pressed against were not that of her husband. Her eyes snapped open and she looked up at a blinking Guan Ping, who was only just getting his bearings. They stared at each other with growing shock before Shangxiang jolted back with a shriek, sitting up.

"Why are you so close?!" She demanded, her voice reaching a high, wavering pitch.

Ping sat up himself, completely flustered, not even sure why they were in that position. "I don't... I mean... it wasn't..." He turned to glance at a sleep-tousled Xing beside him, who was somewhat bemused by the sudden loud noises. Suo had just awoken him, and their younger brother had quite the grin on his face from the predicament.

Shangxiang hurried to her feet, her face bright red as she stormed over to the turtle shell to get some water.

"F-Forgive me, Princess!" Guan Ping fumbled out, before turning to Suo with a lowered tone. "Why didn't you wake me first if you could see how awkward our position was?!"

"You seemed so cosy," Suo said jokingly, only to receive a punch in the shin. Ping inwardly cursed that his brother had chosen such a ridiculous time to tease him in such a manner.

"You two are so loud," Shan input softly as he sat up slowly, not too impressed to have his sleep disturbed, though managed to not look too annoyed about it, still sporting his usual placid expression.

"When you're all quite done," Xingcai admonished with a roll of her eyes. "Maybe we should consider getting ready to leave."

"Yes, you're right," Ping said, quickly trying to brush off the embarrassment, though annoyingly he could feel the heat from the blush still burning in his cheeks.

Hurriedly, the group prepared themselves once more to head back out on their journey. After taking in a meagre breakfast, they changed before feeding and priming the horses, who were eager to get moving again. Stepping out of the cave, the air was crisp, their breaths hanging in wispy clouds in front of them momentarily. The mud under foot squelched and sloshed about unevenly, making walking precarious. What it would be like to ride was going to be a different story, but it was a sign of what they could expect of the pathway. It was going to be a slow and precarious day.

Liu Shan, Guan Xing and Xingcai each took command of a cart, making sure their cargo was safely secured before they started out. Guan Ping, with Suo and Sanniang at his side, led the entourage, wanting to check out their path ahead first so they could guide their precious cargo along the safest route. Shangxiang and Yinping followed up the rear, watching their backs.

The damage caused by the downpour was quite apparent the further they proceeded. Aside the muddy ground, they were having to navigate around fallen rocks of varying sizes, and carefully passing close under precariously tilting trees that had been partially uprooted along an upper ledge. Their progress was sluggish, particularly as the horses didn't seem particularly enamoured at having to navigate the slushy paths on a declining slope. Despite the setbacks the weather had caused, the group pushed on, knowing that there were people desperately waiting for the supplies they had in tow.

Shangxiang watched her comrades with a mixture of sympathy and pride. Nobody was really complaining about the extent of their predicament – in fact, Bao Sanniang seemed to be cheerfully chattering about what foods she wanted to eat when they got to the next town to anybody who was listening. It was tedious that they were descending on such an uneasy path at such a slow pace, but the maturity amongst the group in handling their circumstances was something to behold.

"I'm sure you didn't imagine the mission would take such a dramatic turn did you, Princess?" Yinping said to her softly.

"I've learnt from many years of travelling with my father and brothers that you can't always predict the conditions you encounter." She straightened up on her mount. "Even so, you have to apply your skill and wisdom to adapt to any given situation. The more hardships you face, the more you learn; and with such lessons, the stronger you become."

"I hope one day I'll become just as wise as you, Princess," Yinping said with hope and praise.

Shangxiang gave a half laugh, a smile crossing her face. "Wise! That's truly kind of you to say, but I have to disagree. I'm just full of bluster!" If she had truly been wise, she wouldn't have run off on this mission without permission in the first place, not that she was going to say it out loud. "You are already very capable, Yinping. You've handled everything so well thus far."

"I don't want to let my brothers down," Yinping admitted, glancing away. "I want to prove to them I can be just as reliable as any of them."

"I'm sure they already know that. You're a big asset to the team."

Yinping seemed to flush with a sense of pride hearing those words, truly hopeful that was the case. Quickly, she shifted the point of topic. "About what happened earlier with Ping..."

Shangxiang turned bright red, averting her gaze elsewhere, eyes fixed to a fallen tree on a ledge below as if it was the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen. "The less said about that, the better," she hurried said, only just managing to maintain her voice so not to stammer helplessly.

Though Yinping seemed amused by her reaction, the words she offered were gentle and considerate. "My brother would never wittingly take advantage of you, Princess. Sleep can put us in such… strange predicaments when in particularly confined spaces."

Shangxiang bit her lip, knowing she was probably just as guilty for letting her sleep-addled brain confuse her senses. "Yes, well... I'm certain it wasn't me he wished he was cosying up with," she said, eyes drawn to Xingcai up ahead.

Yinping knew what she was implying and smiled knowingly. "Yes. I think you're right." They exchanged furtive glances and couldn't help but titter quietly between themselves.

Before long, the path began to level out on a lower plane as they started to leave a fair section of the mountainous locality behind them. Unfortunately, despite their progress, it was clear the road they were now trying to traverse was worse than the path they'd left behind. It was quickly apparent their progress was going to be impeded when all three carts became bogged down in the slurry of gloopy mud that rose up around the wooden wheels, hindering their ability to turn and keep traction. With the carts stalling in motion, the horses that were pulling them lost purchase and were unable to make any further progress.

"This is troublesome," Liu Shan said languidly, staring down over the edge of his cart.

Indeed, things _were_ troublesome. It was clear that the horses would not be able to shift the carts on their own power. Guan Ping ordered everyone aside Xing, Xingcai and Shan to dismount and help lay out some long planks stored on the carts – there for such a situation – to hopefully create a more stable track for the carts to travel.

The five sloshed about together ankle deep in mud, retrieving and laying out the planks in a relatively orderly line. The long pieces of wood sunk somewhat into the loose mud, settling comfortably for a steady line. They hoped they would work as intended.

Putting his commanding skills to the test, Guan Ping organised his party to set about freeing each of the carts one by one by pushing them up ahead onto a more elevated part of the path, which wasn't quite as encumbered by the mud. Sanniang enthusiastically guided the cart horses from the front with much encouragement as Guan Ping, Suo and Yinping provided the extra muscle as they got behind the carts to push. Certainly, with Yinping lending her strength – much to her obliviousness – the carts were moved with only minor resistance, giving the cart horses quite the surprise when their load was thrusting them forward. Though their boots slid to some extent in the mud, they were able to maintain their footing to successfully rescue their haul.

With each cart passing through clear, Shangxiang and Sanniang reset the planks back into a straight line for the next haul. Xing and Xingcai's carts proved to be easy enough to get up onto more stable ground, but Liu Chan's was proving to be a little more of a challenge. When they first tried to move it onto the planks, it jolted forward and skidded off the wood, tipping at an angle into the mud. Luckily, it didn't fall over.

"STOP! STOP!" Guan Ping ordered, staring at the tilting cart with dismay. He knew it had all been going too well.

"I think we have a problem," Liu Shan said, stating the obvious. Ping bit his lip so not to throw out an unwanted retort.

"What should we do now?" Suo asked his brother.

Ping deliberated the situation, before looking up at Yinping, almost instantly getting an idea. "Yinping, you, Suo and Xing lift the cart straight while me and the Princess push it back onto the planks."

"You think that will work?" Yinping seemed to doubt, not noticing the humour in everyone else's faces.

"Believe me, I'm certain it will do the trick," Ping asserted, taking up his position.

Shangxiang came to join him, cracking her knuckles. "Let's get down and dirty then, shall we?" They exchanged glances before she quickly looked away, realising what she'd just said. "Completely erase that sentence from your mind."

"Already done," Ping said abashed, keeping his eyes firmly on the back of the cart. "Are you ready to lift?" He called over to his siblings; they confirmed so with a clamouring 'Yes!' in unison. "Right, on three, you lift, we push. Once we are up onto the planks, come around and help us push. Actually, Xing, you stay on the side and watch to make sure it doesn't slip again." Xing agreed with a simple response. "Okay, on three. One, two, THREE!"

As expected, the cart lifted easily from the mud – much more due to Yinping's lifting than the other brothers – and Ping and Shangxiang pushed as hard as they could. After briefly stalling, the cart lurched forward onto the planks, a little faster than anyone expected. Liu Shan was almost bounced off his seat, grabbing onto the sides to prevent himself from being thrown out. Behind him, Shangxiang gasped as she skidded, but managed to remain upright. Guan Ping wasn't so lucky, as he lost his footing and went straight down sideways into the mud. The Princess was taken by surprised when she was sprayed by projectile sludge.

The group stopped their actions, thankfully the cart back on its track, as Shangxiang took a moment to wipe specks of mud from her cheek and arm. Suo, Yinping and Xing glanced around the cart at their fallen brother, a shared look of amusement creeping onto their faces. The right side of Ping's body was covered with mud from head to toe. It was almost perfect symmetry of one-part mud, to one-part clean. He got up to one knee, looking about as impressed with his predicament as one would imagine. He stared up at the others, who were trying not to laugh, with only Xing managing to keep a straight face, even though his eyes betrayed him.

"Well, you know what they say," Shangxiang said softly, her eyes gleaming with good humour as she patted his shoulder. "Mud does wonders for the skin."

Ping turned away to spit away some globule of mud that had managed to pass his lips, turning back only to give the Princess an empty stare. If she hadn't have been his lord's wife, he may have thrown mud in her face.

The holdup ate into a few precious hours of the day, time they hadn't realised had slipped them by. Having to traverse such unsteady tracks had completely set back their progress. They hadn't wanted to run the risk of injuring their horses on such slippery ground for the sake of hurrying, despite knowing the overall importance of their task.

The mountainous terrain was soon left behind, and they entered a more wooded straight, at a time when the weather warmed up for a period, hardening the ground. This was at least one reprieve, though they were still having to navigate fallen vegetation, though not quite to the extent of what they'd faced the day before, which had ultimately diverted they journey in the first place. Even so, the obstacles were adding further minor delays onto their journey.

Guan Ping, having managed to at least remove most of the dirt from his face, clothes and armour, sat silently albeit inwardly dejected, leading his entourage with Guan Suo close at his side. He was inwardly grumbling at his lack of luck, wondering how much more time they would be wasting on such inconveniences. He told himself to take it all as a learning curb, as humiliating as it all felt, but it didn't raise his spirts by any significant margin.

Suo picked up Ping's deflated mood. "Don't worry too much, brother. We've hopefully overcome the worst of it."

"I really do hope so. It doesn't make me feel any less cursed by these conditions," Ping muttered gloomily. "Nature itself seems to be working against me. What kind of leader am I who so easily makes a fool of himself?"

Suo's expression softened with sympathy. "I'm sorry if you thought we were making fun of you for falling over. I'm ashamed to say, we were probably looking for any reason to find humour to lift our spirits. The weather has left a lot of lingering tension."

"As a commander, I shouldn't put myself in such situations to not have the respect of my subordinates," Ping said affirmed, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Brother, we are a team, and you have our loyalty, and not just because we're family," Suo assured him, becoming more serious. "We will try better not to let our familial bonds get in the way of how we treat you. But you yourself need to stop beating yourself up. You can only do what you can, given how things have been. We are all our here to learn to become better people; better soldiers. You should have more faith in yourself. Don't let such things damper your morale." Ping nodded, but said nothing more.

They were not all that far from the crossing that traversed the Zhi River by the time late afternoon rolled around. They could almost make it out on the distant horizon. With the woodlands now opening out, they entered vast planes lush with tall foliage, which crunched under hoof and wheel at they moved. Somewhere beyond the Zhi was the town they had been scheduled to make the day before, so they were somewhat back on track. But as they progressed, dark clouds rolled across the skies, and eventually the rain came once more. Unlike the night before, the droplets were gentle, pitter-pattering around them with an airy candour.

Despite Ping's desire to get to the Zhi crossing before nightfall, it was obvious their horses were becoming tired, as were their riders. They'd barely rested, eating only meagre portions of food in the fleeting moments of respite they could snatch in their tight schedule. Despite their determination, they were flagging and starting to slow down. It was clear they needed to set up camp, as they weren't going to reach their first destination in daylight. They needed to find somewhere to set up camp and ride out the next bout of bad weather.

There were some rocky hills close by, which had some sturdy canopies built into their bases that would do for suitable shelter, but he felt uneasy about this valley. From his education as a soldier, enemies would always take the higher ground to enact a surprise attack. Though maybe he was just naturally paranoid about such things. But it was better than trying to camp out in the open.

Ping was just considering stopping his companions to discuss their next course of action when he noticed a lone figure on the path ahead, slowly approaching their position. As he drew closer, he could see that he was a wizened old fellow, somewhat hunched over – even more so with the large basket tied to his back, though he didn't seem too impeded despite his cargo – supported by a long, gnarled staff. His thinning grey hair was tucked under a large brimmed straw hat, shielding his face from the light rain. His skin and clothes were both weathered from age, but he strode with cautious determination, clearly unconcerned by the weather. He glanced up as he saw the entourage ahead of him, taking a moment to gauge them through squinted eyes taxed by age, discerning they were not your run of the mill travelling folk. As they came along side, he bowed as best he could given the cargo on his back.

"You are brave souls to travel out this way with such unpredictable weather," the old man said, his voice hoarse.

"As are you, sir," Ping responded, bringing his group to a temporarily halt, which he was sure would please the weary horses to no end.

"I'm long since used to it. Will just about make it home before the rain gets worse."

"You live close by?" Ping seemed surprised, as there didn't seem to be a settlement for miles aside the town they were trying to get to, but he was clearly walking in the complete opposite direction away from the Zhi river.

"That I do," he confirmed. "I live a hermit's life these days." He leaned on his staff, looking at the mounted entourage ahead of him. "Where are you headed, my friend? Strange to see such dignified fellows on this beaten track, not with a more accessible crossing a few miles downstream."

"We're emissaries for Lord Liu Bei, heading for one of our outposts out in the frontiers. Unfortunately, we have been diverted by the weather," Ping answered cordially, bowing his head in respect of the elder man.

"Lord Liu Bei!" The man expressed in awe. "I am truly blessed to meet a group in the service of such a prestigious gentleman!" He shuffled the heavy load of his back, rubbing his bristly chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, but it must be troublesome for you, diverted out this way. The weather has been very unforgiving, like an uncaged beast on a rampage. The damage has been very far-reaching, I'm afraid. The villages with waterways that flow from the Zhi have suffered terrible flooding."

Ping's brow furrowed. "I see." This certainly posed even more difficulty, as their original stopover was not far off the Zhi, and he had a feeling that it wouldn't have been exempted by the worst of the weather. They could only add to their burden if they even considered turning up in the dead of night, trying to seek shelter.

"It's been terrible to see. All those ruined crops…" The man continued with a sad shake of his head. "Luckily the man who provides my rice still had plenty left bagged on higher ground, so I was able to make my journey worth the while. But please, forgive my ramblings, I don't wish to hold you back any longer. The night is drawing close after all."

"Please, don't concern yourself. I don't think we will make much further progress today," Ping said, acknowledging openly that they were spent. "Our horses are in need of rest."

"As I'm sure are the riders," the man said with a wry smile, resting his weight against his staff. "And with such weather as it is, camping on the planes would not be the most comfortable of experiences. That, and you'd have to be on guard against bandits. They've been quite active this way in recent times. I'm lucky to live isolated away from such greedy eyes."

Ping made an agreeable sound. "Even so, there are very few options for us." He turned as Shangxiang came cantering up to join him at the front.

"Is there a problem?" She asked, turning to glance at the old man, who was squinting up at her with blissful surprise.

"We won't make the next town before nightfall, and by what I've just been told, it seems like we should expect them to have been burdened by flooding from the Zhi."

Shangxiang sighed tiredly, partly exasperated, partly troubled by the news. "What do you suggest we do?"

"Please excuse me," the old man quickly cut in, eyes darting between the pair. "Can I be so bold to suggest offering my humble abode as lodgings for the night? It is not too far away and should provide you some comfort for you and your companions."

"Your offer is truly kind," Ping began to decline, "but we wouldn't wish to trouble-"

"Don't be so hasty, Guan Ping," Shangxiang interrupted abruptly. "Wouldn't it be wise for us to find shelter somewhere less exposed?"

Ping frowned thoughtfully, not quite sure whether to feel annoyed that the Princess was questioning him so frontally, despite her words making the most sense.

"I can understand your indecision over my offer," the old man addressed Guan Ping. "The kindness of strangers can be so greatly questioned in these turbulent times. Though on my honour, I only offer a roof for shelter, so that you can be more assured to be dry and safe."

Shangxiang shot Ping a look that warned him not to turn down such a good offer after a night in a cave. Relenting under pressure, Ping acquiesced a nod. "Thank you, we would be most grateful."

"I'm glad you put your faith in me," the old man said, bowing his head. "And it will offer me a rare chance of company, especially as you seem to have many pretty ladies in your ranks. You don't get many of those around these parts!" He gave a playful chuckle, before bowing again. "Please excuse me, I never introduced myself. I am Bu Hu."

"I am Guan Ping, son of Guan Yu, and this is Lady Sun," Ping introduced. He was careful not to give the Princess her full title, just out of precaution.

"I am honoured," Bu Hu acknowledged.

Ping turned back to the others, informing them of the change of plan. The promise of rest and more suitable accommodation was very pleasing to their ears.

Though, Xingcai did seem slightly cynical still. "You're very kind to make such offer to complete strangers. Either you trust we are not secretly bandits or are leading us into the arms of danger."

Bu Hu croaked out a laugh. "Quite the pessimist, indeed! Though, it's a quality that one should always keep close to your heart in these warring times." He approached her cart. "You're too clean, fresh-faced and well-spoken to be bandits, and believe you and me, I've seen them aplenty! Besides, want bandit would admit to being one, hmm? And can you imagine a withered old man like me running with scoundrels? Ha! I have very little run left in me! I would have had to have been a wily tactician to plan such a chance ambush on such a group. And to be fair, I doubt any of the ruffians around here would stand a chance against the likes of you, even though you're clearly tired from your travels. We'd be picking up our guts until dawn." He laughed harder at the notion.

"All we can do is trust that your kindness is as honest as your humour," Shangxiang remarked with a lilt of jest.

"Please, lead us to your home," Ping requested, before offering him a seat on the cart next to Xingcai. Bu Hu was certainly not going to turn down a free ride home, especially next to a girl of such a fair complexion, which he was more than happy to tell her, unperturbed by her stony reception.

Turning their entourage around, they slowly set off under the blanket of light rain towards Bu Hu's dwellings.


End file.
